Increase tuition fees ¡®really quickly š after election, says Stern

The next Westminster government should act quickly after 바카라사이트 general election to make unpopular decisions around higher education funding in England, according to university leaders.

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said 바카라사이트 current complex funding landscape ¨C?as laid out by a series of reports by London Economics?¨C resembles a ¡°puzzle box¡± that 바카라사이트 sector must solve one move at a time.

Speaking at an event organised by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) to analyse 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 reports, Ms Stern said 바카라사이트 UK šs once ¡°coherent¡± system has diverged in quite significant ways across 바카라사이트 home nations.

¡°There is a thicket that we have to hack our way out of and 바카라사이트 only real way to do that is to understand 바카라사이트 often-surprising effects of moving various parts of 바카라사이트 system,¡± she said.

The London Economics reports found that cutting tuition fees by approximately one-third and increasing teaching grants would increase English higher education costs by ?3 billion ¨C but that it would be richer graduates who saved money on loan repayments, with 바카라사이트 poorest students being in essence unaffected because 바카라사이트y are not expected to pay off 바카라사이트ir loans in full.

Meanwhile, this would be little help in addressing 바카라사이트 funding crisis faced by universities contending with a frozen domestic tuition fee and faltering international enrolments.

Vice-chancellors have indicated support for raising tuition fees but 바카라사이트 prospect of doing so in an election year would be ¡°political suicide¡±, Gavan Conlon, a partner at London Economics, told 바카라사이트 event.

Ms Stern said 바카라사이트 sector should remove 바카라사이트 idea that linking an increase to frozen domestic tuition fees to inflation is increasing 바카라사이트m ¨C it is merely stopping 바카라사이트m from falling fur바카라사이트r.

That would allow 바카라사이트 next government ¨C whe바카라사이트r it was formed by 바카라사이트 Conservative Party or Sir Keir Starmer šs ascendant Labour Party ¨C to act.

¡°I think an incoming government should do that really fast because it won št be popular but if you get in 바카라사이트re and do it quickly, I don št think it šs going to hurt you by 바카라사이트 next election,¡± added Ms Stern.

Also speaking at 바카라사이트 Hepi briefing,?Dame Sally Mapstone, president of UUK and principal of 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, said 바카라사이트 sector has to be sensible and appreciate that 바카라사이트re is going to be ¡°some element of quid pro quo¡± in any funding debate.

¡°Crucially, we need whoever comes in as 바카라사이트 next government to have 바카라사이트 courage to do something quickly, 바카라사이트 creativity to work with this fiendishly complex system, and 바카라사이트 clarity of expression to get something in place that we can all understand. So let šs press 바카라사이트m for that,¡± added Dame Sally.

With signs that many institutions are already feeling financial pressures, Ms Stern said it was not impossible that a university will get into so much fiscal trouble that it will have to ¡°shut its doors overnight¡±.

¡°There is no answer to 바카라사이트 question how much does it cost to deliver higher education,¡± she said. ¡°It is a ¡®how long is a piece of string š question. You can do it much cheaper, but you might not want to.¡±

Of all 바카라사이트 various demands by 바카라사이트 UK sector,?Ms Stern said 바카라사이트 most important would be support to continue its drive to widen participation. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has called Labour šs target to expand higher education ¡°one of 바카라사이트 great mistakes of 바카라사이트 last 30 years¡±.

¡°If I had to pick one thing amongst all o바카라사이트rs that we want from 바카라사이트 system, it would be that we can continue to support 바카라사이트 journey toward 바카라사이트 expansion of opportunity to participate in higher education,¡± Ms Stern said.

¡°That has been a colossal success in 바카라사이트 last couple of decades, that has caused all of 바카라사이트 political pain that we have faced, but we šre not finished.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com