Following the announcement of its fee levels for undergraduate students across the UK, The Open University today announces its fee levels for undergraduate students resident outside of the UK and for postgraduate students across all jurisdictions.

Undergraduate fees for new students outside of the UK
Undergraduate fees for new students resident outside of the UK and starting their studies after 1 September 2012 will be the same as for new students in England: £5,000 for 120 credits, £2,500 (60 credits) and £1,250 (30 credits). An honours degree totals 360 credits. At these prices, an honours degree with the OU will total £15,000. This fee is a standard across all subject areas and modules.

The OU has kept fees as low as possible while sustaining high quality and remaining true to its mission of being open to all.

Undergraduate fees for current students outside of the UK
Most current OU students outside of the UK will be able to complete their qualifications at a price and pace consistent with their expectations when they started their course, under the OU’s transitional fee arrangements. This means fees for most current students will remain at current levels, subject to inflation-linked increases. These arrangements are on the same terms as those for current students in England.

Postgraduate fees across all jurisdictions
Fee levels for taught postgraduate study across all jurisdictions will be broadly at current levels plus inflation. Current prices for taught postgraduate degrees start from £3,495. Specific fees for 2012/13 will be available in the OU’s online prospectus in early 2012 www.open.ac.uk/study.

The Open University is the UK’s biggest university and a world leader in flexible part-time education, with more than 264,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including 18,000 outside of the UK studying directly with the University. The OU has developed a unique “supported open learning” model, which enables students to fit studies around their commitments, supported by a network of Associate Lecturers, online forums and through contact with their peers via tutorials, online conferencing, social networks, study groups and events. It is through this proven model of education, together with the OU’s scale, reach and expertise, that the University is able to continue to offer excellent value. The OU will retain its open access policy and continues to welcome all students.

The OU has created a website to communicate these changes to current and potential students, employers and partners: www.open.ac.uk/fees2012.
ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Fees for new students outside of the UK
The funding for higher education is different for each nation in the UK. In the past in England, and still in other nations of the UK, the majority of the cost of our degree programmes was met from government grant. The grant does not meet the full costs of delivering education and student fees contributed to the total.

Governments outside of the UK make no contribution to the costs of teaching. Previously the OU’s fees for students outside of the UK met the additional costs of delivering education outside of the UK, but not the costs of developing courses. From September 2012, students outside of the UK will pay the same as students in England and that will meet the full costs of their programmes as in England. In setting its fees, The Open University has kept fees as low as possible while sustaining high quality and remaining true to its mission of being open to all.

2. Fees for current students outside of the UK
Undergraduate students resident outside of the UK pay approximately £3,360 for a standard 120 credits of study (the equivalent of a year of full-time study). Many students study on a module basis and currently a standard 60 credit module is priced from £1,470 .

3. Studying with the OU outside of the UK
The OU’s flexible model of education means many of its courses can be delivered across the world.

The top reasons given by students living outside the UK for studying with the OU are:
• Flexibility to study around work and life commitments.
• Choice over qualification pathways and rate of study.
• Studying in English / with a British higher education institution.
• The reputation of the OU.

In February this year, the UK Government’s Online Learning Task Force said the UK set a “world standard in distance learning” by establishing The Open University 42 years ago.