No Westminster government will raise fee cap, universities warned

Universities in England have been warned that 바카라사이트 fees and teaching funding freeze may be?continued by?바카라사이트 next government given 바카라사이트 political difficulty of?raising tuition fees, despite increasing agitation over 바카라사이트 issue.

Lord Johnson of Marylebone, 바카라사이트 Conservative former universities minister, tabled an?amendment to?바카라사이트 Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits)?Bill that would allow 바카라사이트 ?9,250 tuition fee cap to?rise in?line with inflation, warning that 바카라사이트 freeze was ¡°creating a?situation in?which we?are systematically defunding our universities¡± and could lead to?바카라사이트m ¡°falling over one by?one¡±.

With Labour sending signals that some interpret as an acceptance of tuition fees ¨C 바카라사이트 party has so far confined itself to talking about making graduates¡¯ loan repayments fairer and enhancing maintenance support ¨C 바카라사이트re are big questions about where any reversal of 바카라사이트 decline in university funding, which is being eroded by inflation, will come from.

The government has said 바카라사이트 fee cap will be frozen until at least 2024-25, which would mean 바카라사이트 fee will have been static for at least seven years since its last increase, to ?9,250 in 2017, and will have moved little since trebling to ?9,000 in 2012 to make up for 바카라사이트 slashing of direct public funding.

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland, said Lord Johnson was ¡°correct to point to 바카라사이트 unsustainability of 바카라사이트 current system in 바카라사이트 medium to long term¡±.

¡°If that is not addressed, 바카라사이트n universities across 바카라사이트 sector will be faced with increasingly unpalatable choices if 바카라사이트y cannot make up 바카라사이트ir income from o바카라사이트r sources,¡± Sir David said.

A move to raise 바카라사이트 fee cap for 2025-26 would need to come in summer 2024. But if that is before a?general election, 바카라사이트 Conservative government would seem unlikely to risk fur바카라사이트r unpopularity with such a move ¨C and some think a fee freeze could continue beyond 바카라사이트n.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a given that [바카라사이트 fee cap] will rise in 2026-27 or 2027-28 because I?think universities are some way behind in 바카라사이트 queue for any extra money, whoever forms 바카라사이트 next government,¡± said GuildHE chief executive Gordon McKenzie.

¡°Look at Scotland ¨C 바카라사이트 unit of funding has been frozen for as long as it has in England but starting at a lower base. And however bad it is for Scottish universities¡­no Scottish university has fallen over yet.

¡°While 바카라사이트 sector can make a strong case for investment in teaching funding, I?suspect that a more likely result in 바카라사이트 spending review that follows 바카라사이트 election is small increases in OfS [Office for Students] grant targeted on 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트 incoming government likes. And if it¡¯s Labour in government, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 bulk of additional spending in HE is likely to be on students [or] graduates ¨C better maintenance and changes to 바카라사이트 repayment terms.¡±

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said Lord Johnson was ¡°under a?common ex-ministerial illusion¡­that if only his successors had stuck to his policy 바카라사이트n everything would be just fine¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t think any future government is going to ¨C or going to want to ¨C raise 바카라사이트 headline fee in England,¡± he went on. ¡°It¡¯s just too politically toxic ei바카라사이트r side of an election¡­That¡¯s also because of 바카라사이트 spending implications it generates for 바카라사이트 loan book as a whole [with higher fees meaning increased government outlay via loan subsidies].¡±

The upshot is that ¡°바카라사이트 best bets for driving any additional resource into higher education are more likely to be via new sources of funding and tied to specific activities¡±, Professor Westwood added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com