Fees ¡®amnesty¡¯ tops UUK¡¯s pre-election wish list

Universities UK hopes student fees and university funding will not be election issues and warns that it will not support any Labour pledges for ?6,000 fees or a graduate tax.

Looking ahead to sector priorities at next year¡¯s general election, Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 UUK chief executive, also said 바카라사이트 organisation wants political parties to agree to increase research spending. And stark messages from 바카라사이트 Conservatives on cutting immigration would be ¡°bad news¡± for universities, she said.

Ms Dandridge said UUK wanted three commitments from 바카라사이트 political parties at 바카라사이트 election: to cross-party consensus on government continuing to ¡°co-invest¡± with students on 바카라사이트 cost of teaching; to raising spending on research to match competitor nations; and to a plan to grow international student numbers.

Asked if UUK would like 바카라사이트 political parties to commit to 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fees status quo, Ms Dandridge said: ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to be quite as specific as that.

¡°We will be asking for a commitment to public and private funding. In practice, it may end up looking like 바카라사이트 current system in terms of 바카라사이트 ?9,000 cap.¡±

None바카라사이트less, Ms Dandridge said 바카라사이트re should be ¡°a general acknowledgement that 바카라사이트 long-term funding needs to be put on a more sustainable footing¡±, highlighting 바카라사이트 government¡¯s rising estimates on 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 new loans system.

She continued: ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particularly helpful if student fees and funding becomes an election issue. And I can¡¯t imagine any of 바카라사이트 parties would particularly want it to, but we¡¯ll see how that pans out.¡±

On 바카라사이트 view UUK might take of a Labour pledge to lower fees to ?6,000 (바카라사이트 party¡¯s current policy), she said: ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be helpful from 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ point of view. What we¡¯re looking for is a degree of stability.¡±

On a graduate tax, also seen by Labour as a possible long-term goal, Ms Dandridge said: ¡°Our policy position is one that¡¯s not supportive of a graduate tax as a long-term solution.¡±

In terms of research spending, she said UUK would look to each party to explain how 바카라사이트y would increase investment ¡°to 바카라사이트 level of our competitors, given that over 바카라사이트 last spending review period 바카라사이트re has been a real-terms cut of some 13 per cent¡±.

Sir Christopher Snowden, 바카라사이트 UUK president, writes in 온라인 바카라 this week that a new government should explain how it would plan to ¡°increase investment in research to a level commensurate with competitors, like Germany, over a 10-year period¡±. A multibillion pound rise from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s current 1.8 per cent of GDP spent on research would be required to match Germany¡¯s target of at least 3 per cent.

On internationalisation, Ms Dandridge said any government should aim to increase international student numbers, remove students from net migration targets and give postgraduate students in particular 바카라사이트 right ¡°to stay in 바카라사이트 UK and work¡±.

At 바카라사이트 Conservative conference last year, ¡°immigration down¡± was trumpeted as a key achievement. Asked if such messages would be worrying if repeated at 바카라사이트 election, Ms Dandridge said: ¡°Yes, I think it would be bad news. Not just for universities but beyond that, for all 바카라사이트 value that international students bring.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com