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Student drop-outs to finish degrees online
Ben Bailey25 Jun 2009
Students who drop out of degree courses will be encouraged to complete their studies online with the Open University, it was announced today.
The initiative is a major expansion of the OU's role, and comes as the university, which does not have a campus, celebrates its 40th anniversary.
It will be backed by £7.8 million in public funding, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) said.
Around 35,000 students in England drop out every year, and figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) last month showed that 7.4% of young undergraduates leave in their first year.
The Shared Returns project, which will initially be run in the north west of England - will provide students with advice on continuing their studies.
Hefce estimates that up to 15% of students who drop-out will stay in higher education as a result of the project.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "The success of distance learning, pioneered 40 years ago by the Open University, has been nothing short of a revolution for higher education.
"It has opened the doors to a whole new audience of students who have not only seen academic success but reaped the wider rewards learning brings."
Earlier this week the government announced a separate £20 will be invested in supporting online learning.
Business secretary Lord Mandelson said: "The Open University has been at the forefront of the distance learning revolution for the last 40 years and I am pleased that they will receive further funding to enhance the important national role they play, working collaboratively across the sector."
Two other projects will also benefit from the £7.8 million funding. One will look at information technology to enhance teaching and the other aims to increase collaboration between institutions.
