premise: The government wants 50 per cent of people aged 18 to 30 to go to university, and many of these new students are expected to study for shorter foundation degrees. These last two years and combine study with hands-on experience while in paid relevant work. Already more than 20,000 people are taking foundation degrees in 1,000 different courses. Self-discipline and strong motivation are critical if the student is to succeed because most foundation degrees are by distance learning and are part-time. While foundation degrees are not for the faint-hearted, they may appeal to many students who currently follow conventional university courses and who leave university with average debts of 30,000 and then have to compete for a graduate-level job against other foundation degree graduates with work-related experience.
hypothesis: The case made for doing a foundation degree rather than a conventional degree is purely economic.