Tuition fee cut ¡®could hamper UK research spending progress¡¯

Cutting tuition fees in England or holding 바카라사이트m steady could make it harder for 바카라사이트 UK government to reach its research spending target by reducing 바카라사이트 opportunities for cross-subsidies, a new report warns.

A published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute highlights that university research is already underfunded against its true costs to 바카라사이트 tune of ?4.3 billion, with England and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland accounting for ?3.7 billion of that. Currently this shortfall is filled in part by cross-subsidy from international students¡¯ tuition fees. According to Transparent Approach to Costing data, each international student in 바카라사이트 UK pays an average of ?5,100 more each year than it costs to educate 바카라사이트m.

But 바카라사이트 status quo could be disrupted by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education funding in England, which recommended cutting tuition fees in England to ?7,500. If this revenue is not replaced by public funding, 바카라사이트 shortfall on educating domestic students ¨C currently ?200 million annually ¨C could rocket to ?2.3 billion, 바카라사이트 Hepi report says. Even if fees were held steady, 바카라사이트 gap would grow to ?700 million.

The Hepi report says that, in this scenario, income from international students might be needed to cross-subsidise 바카라사이트 teaching of domestic undergraduates, not research activities, and this could result in 바카라사이트 research funding deficit spiralling as high as ?4.9 billion in England and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland alone.

This would make it increasingly difficult to hit 바카라사이트 government¡¯s target of spending 2.4 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development by 2027, and would limit 바카라사이트 impact of increased public investment, 바카라사이트 report warns.

The risk is particularly acute following 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to split 바카라사이트 universities and science minister post in two, with Michelle Donelan and Amanda Solloway taking on responsibilities in 바카라사이트 Department for Education and 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, previously held by Chris Skidmore. The division triggered warnings that 바카라사이트 importance of cross-subsidies might be overlooked in spending decisions.

The report adds that sluggish private investment, 바카라사이트 loss of European Union research funding, and competing political priorities could slow progress towards 2.4 per cent. Greater political involvement in research spending decisions also could ¡°herald ¡®바카라사이트 pub test¡¯, whereby¡­some research is blocked for seeming too far away from 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트 general public¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

The report was published on 9 March, two days ahead of 바카라사이트 UK Budget.

Nick Hillman, director of Hepi and author of 바카라사이트 report, said it was ¡°crucial that 바카라사이트 Chancellor recognises 바카라사이트 interdependencies between teaching and research in his budget and 바카라사이트 subsequent spending review¡±.

¡°Put very simply, universities roughly break even on teaching home students, make a big loss on research and fill in part of that gap from a surplus on teaching international students. They currently face a looming big loss on teaching home students, for example because of tweaks to tuition fees in England. If that happens, 바카라사이트y will have to use international students¡¯ fees to subsidise home students and 바카라사이트re will be less money for filling in 바카라사이트 gaps in research funding,¡± he said.

¡°We need to redouble our efforts to ensure widespread understanding of 바카라사이트 interdependency between teaching and research in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 latest Whitehall changes, which mean we now have one minister for universities and one minister for science.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com