Much has been made recently of the large discrepancy between the money college receives for undergraduate tuition (from Local Education Authorities and students themselves) and its actual cost, but it appears that the situation for research-based postgraduate study is no better. A comprehensive article in today's Independent discusses the implications of a report detailing the full economic cost of a postgraduate research degree.
The study is the first of its kind and took into account time spent by supervisors, examiners and lecturers (salary and indirect costs make up approximately 13% and 6% of the total respectively), consumables (31%), provision of scholarships or fee remission by the University (9%) and indirect central services and estate costs (40%).
Imperial College's tuition fees for most research degrees at Imperial are £11,400 per year, a cost often paid by a research council or other sponsor. In addition to tuition fees College's other prime source of money for undergraduate and postgraduate activity comes from the Higher Education Funding Council for England who commissioned this study (carried out by JM Consulting Ltd).
It is important to note though that the study did not take into account the financial gained by College through the work of research students. Their work can indirectly or directly attract research grants. Additionally in carrying out some research or teaching work they can free up members of staff to work on more financially lucrative projects. The HEFCE report also made much of the non-financial contribution made by postgraduate research students, not least that they "form the next generation of researchers in training".
However the knowledge that they cost close to £100,000 should serve as a wake up call to any postgraduate students who should be taking steps to become a qualified researcher (whatever that means) and contributing to their departmental RAE rather than writing articles for the Union's premier news website. Additionally, government and research institutions may have to rethink how they will continue to fund postgraduate research students.
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