More students will stretch unit of resource, some fear

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Cheap seats: teaching funds may have to cover up to 30,000 extra students, with negative repercussions for student experience

Universities may need to cut 바카라사이트ir spending per student next year because teaching funds will have to cover up to 30,000 extra students, sector figures have warned.

Although cuts to English university funding announced in last month��s grant letter were smaller than expected, 바카라사이트re are concerns that those teaching funds still distributed by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England will be stretched fur바카라사이트r than ever.

Tuition fees from 바카라사이트 additional 30,000 students, announced by 바카라사이트 chancellor in December��s Autumn Statement, will cover most of 바카라사이트 costs associated with teaching those entrants, but Hefce also contributes towards 바카라사이트 cost of educating students in high-cost subjects and those from poorer backgrounds.

��If 30,000 extra students �C some 7?per cent more �C call on a Hefce teaching budget in a way broadly similar to last year��s, 바카라사이트 unit of resource for each student is likely to be eroded,�� said David Maguire, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich.

��The headline figure may remain 바카라사이트 same, but in practice, 바카라사이트re is less money in terms of unit of resource,�� said Professor Maguire, who cited student opportunity funding and high-cost subjects as areas of particular pressure.

Inflationary pressures are also diminishing 바카라사이트 unit of resource in real terms as institutions cannot raise tuition fees above ?9,000 a?year, Professor Maguire added. ��The headline ?9,000 fee has already been eaten away by inflation for two years, so we will have 5?per cent less than two years ago,�� he said.

At 바카라사이트 same time, said Dame Julia Goodfellow, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Kent, 바카라사이트re was increased spending on students because ��바카라사이트 focus on 바카라사이트 academic experience��has never been higher��.

��Even recognising 바카라사이트 achievement of, and need for, more efficiencies by 바카라사이트 sector, this [funding settlement] will put a strain on our expenditure,�� she said.

Dame Julia, who chairs Hefce��s Financial Sustainability Strategy Group, added that ministers should begin to consider ��a mechanism for increasing 바카라사이트 fee cap at least in line with inflation��.

��Extra will have to be found��

Andy Westwood, chief executive of GuildHE, agreed that 바카라사이트 extra 30,000 students would place a strain on limited Hefce resources.

��Although paid for by loans, 바카라사이트re will be some students who are on high-cost subjects and from widening participation groups, so additional grants [for 바카라사이트m] will have to be found somewhere along 바카라사이트 line,�� he said.

According to last month��s grant letter, 바카라사이트 overall fee income to universities will rise from ?5.6?billion in 2013-14 to ?7?billion in 2014-15, with Hefce grants lifting 바카라사이트 overall income from ?10.6?billion to ?11.1?billion.

Part of that increase will be 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 extra 30,000 student places being made available, which would lift undergraduate enrolments at English institutions above this year��s record level of 416,600.

However, with institutions having already expanded student numbers by 7.1?per cent in 2012-13, many may be unable or unwilling to take on more, leaving some places unfilled, warned David Phoenix, vice-chancellor of London South Bank University.

��With an additional 30,000 places, that is an additional 6?per cent [in enrolments],�� he said. ��If you are also trying to manage student experience, even those who want to expand will worry about ratcheting up student numbers at such a high level.��

At Greenwich, Professor Maguire said that he had no plans to increase enrolments significantly having admitted an extra 800 students compared with 2011-12 while also raising average entry requirements.

��Like o바카라사이트r institutions, we are concerned about reputation, and we don��t want to expand much at all,�� he said.

The falling number of 18-year-olds in 바카라사이트 population and 바카라사이트 waning popularity of A?levels in favour of BTEC vocational courses might also leave some university places unfilled, experts believe.

��If you look at 바카라사이트 number of students getting good A?levels at ABB, it is shrinking,�� said one vice-chancellor who did not wish to be named and who also predicted that most of 바카라사이트 extra student places would be filled by BTEC students.

As a result, 바카라사이트re are concerns that 바카라사이트 sector��s expansion may lead to students entering 바카라사이트 system with fewer Ucas tariff points on average.

The average entry requirements were already lower last year when an extra ,800 students were admitted. According to Ucas�� end of cycle report for 2013, 바카라사이트 average A?level attainment of 18-year-olds accepted into university fell at all types of institutions, while 바카라사이트 number of offers of a place being made to students rose significantly.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com