Contribution towards tuition or course fees was not the only form of support offered by the employers of students employed full-time, part-time or voluntarily while studying. Just under half of students (47%) reported that their employer offered them paid time off work to study, and 11% that their employer offered them unpaid time off work to study (Figure 6.3). In addition, 15% of students reported employer contributions towards course-related expenses such as books and equipment. Nevertheless, a substantial 41% of full-time, part-time and voluntarily employed students reported that their employer did not offer any other forms of support.
Figure 6.3 Other forms of employer support
47
11
15
41
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Paid time off work to study Unpaid time off work to study Money towards course-
related expenses No other forms
of support
Per cent of students (N=3108)
Base: Employees or voluntary workers and whose employers knew that they were taking a part-time course Source: Futuretrack Part time, 2008
Table 6.2 shows the factors associated with getting at least one of these forms of support. The types of students who were more likely to get some form of employer non-fee support were single, white, full-time employees, from high or medium income household, studying for a foundation degree or higher national qualification, studying engineering or technology and not studying at the Open University or an FE college.
Table 6.2 Factors associated with non-fee support
Factors associated with support Factors associated with no support
Single Part of a couple
White Not white
Full-time employee Part-time employee or voluntary worker
Student from high or medium income household
Student from low-income household
Foundation degree or Higher National students
First degree students
Students studying Engineering or technology Students studying Law and Education
Not studying at the Open University or an FE college
Studying at the Open University or an FE college
Table 6.3 shows the prevalence of such support by some of the key student and course characteristics. Higher National students were the most likely to have received paid time off work to study (69%) followed by engineering or technology students (66%). Part-time employees (21%) Law students (28%) and Education students (36%) were the least likely to have received paid time off to study.
Differences in the percentage of students receiving unpaid time off work to study were small. Notable is that the highest rates of unpaid time off were for part-time employees (15%) which may simply reflect that they were part-time employees because they had unpaid time off to study.
The same groups who were more/less likely to get paid time off work to study were also more likely to have received money towards course-related expenses: Higher National students (28%) and engineering or technology students (25%) compared with part-time employees (6%), Law students (8%) and Education students (7%).
The above patterns are obviously reflected in the types of students getting none of these types of support such that 63% of part-time employees, 60% of Law students and 52% of Education students had no paid or unpaid time off to study and no money towards course-related
expenses, whilst just 20% of Higher National students and 23% of engineering or technology students received no paid or unpaid time off to study and no money towards course-related expenses.
Table 6.3 Other forms of employer support by current economic status, qualification aim and subject
Other forms of employer support
off work to Paid time study Unpaid time off work to study Money towards course-related expenses No other forms of support All % % % % N Cohort Starter 47 11 16 40 1578 Completer 47 11 14 42 1530
Current economic status
Full-time employee 54 10 17 36 2510 Part-time employee 21 15 6 63 567 Voluntary employee * * * * 31 Qualification aim First degree 43 11 14 45 2138 Foundation degree 52 11 14 37 693 Higher National 69 10 28 20 277 Subject Engineering/technology 66 9 25 23 617 Social science 44 11 12 46 777 Law 28 11 8 60 258 Business 52 12 18 36 791 Education 36 11 7 52 665 All 47 11 15 41 3108
Base: Employees or voluntary workers and whose employers knew that they were taking a part-time course * indicates sample size too small for reliable estimates
Source: Futuretrack Part time, 2008
The characteristics of students and courses that received the other support outlined above are broadly similar to those outlined in Table 5.3 for students who are more or less likely to receive some contribution to their fees. It is therefore interesting to see how these other forms of support relate to fee support. Figure 6.4 shows that students in receipt of full employer fee support were substantially more likely to have received paid time off work to study (73%) or money towards course-related expenses (29%) than students in receipt of partial employer fee support (56%; 17%) or no employer fee support (25%; 3%). In other words, those most likely to get all their fees paid for by their employer were also much more likely to get paid time off work to study and money towards their course-related expenses.
Perhaps because they were so much more likely to receive paid time off work, students in receipt of full employer fee support were less likely to receive unpaid time off work (7%) than students in receipt of partial (11%) or no (14%) employer fee support.
A considerably higher proportion of students in receipt of no employer fee support reported no other forms of employer support (61%) than students in receipt of partial (34%) or full (17%) employer fee support.
These findings indicate that where employers contributed towards tuition or course fees there was a far greater likelihood of a broader range of employer support, signalling a commitment on behalf of the employer to the student’s successful course completion.
Figure 6.4 Other forms of employer support, by level of employer tuition or course fee support 73 56 25 7 11 14 29 17 3 17* 34* 61* 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Full employer fee support Partial employer fee support No employer fee support
Per cent of students (N=3043)
Paid time off work to study
Unpaid time off work to study
Money towards course- related expenses No other forms of support
Base: Fee-paying students employed full-time, part-time or voluntarily while studying and whose employer knew that they were taking a part-time course, excluding missing cases and those who did not report the sources of funding used to pay for their fees