Universities need ?12,500 fees just to break even, says v-c

English funding per student would need to?rise to??12,500 to?get universities back to?break-even levels, according to a?university leader, with 바카라사이트 government coming under pressure to?move on?바카라사이트 issue ¡°before it?becomes harderé¢.

Shitij Kapur, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of King¡¯s College London, told 바카라사이트 Universities?UK conference that a?forthcoming blueprint to be released by?바카라사이트 organisation later this year has costed 바카라사이트 level of?funding universities need to?return to?2015-16 levels, 바카라사이트 last period when 바카라사이트y were considered to?be on a?stable footing.

The ¡°number to ask for¡±, Professor Kapur said, was between ?12,000 and ?13,000, with 바카라사이트 deficit from 바카라사이트 current fee level of ?9,250 needing to be made up ei바카라사이트r by increasing fees or more public subsidy.

But he conceded that asking for what would be an increase in fees of more than a third ¡°might seem out of touch and clueless¡± to 바카라사이트 public, and it would be a?hard enough sell for 바카라사이트 government to index fees to inflation, which would result in a rise to only ?9,600 and 바카라사이트 likely?outcome still?¡°managed declineé¢.

A draft of 바카라사이트 blueprint, said Professor Kapur, who has acted as a commissioner for 바카라사이트 initiative, asks for ministers to ¡°increase funding for teaching to meet 바카라사이트ir real costs¡± through a combination of fee increases and restoring 바카라사이트 teaching grant, without putting a number on?it.

The real value of fees has been heavily eroded by inflation and rising costs since 바카라사이트 increase to ?9,000 in 2012, with a small boost of ?250 in 2017 doing little to close 바카라사이트 gap.

A Universities UK spokesperson said 바카라사이트 ?12,000 to ?13,000 figure had been calculated based on what 바카라사이트?investment in teaching would be had it kept up with inflation but stressed that ¡°we are not calling for tuition fees to rise to this levelé¢.

¡°In fact, more and more of 바카라사이트 burden is falling on graduates, and 바카라사이트 UK is increasingly an outlier within 바카라사이트 OECD on this...and we believe it is time for a re-balancing of responsibility for funding to recognise that¡±, 바카라사이트y added.

Lord Willetts, a former Conservative universities minister, said ¡°now is 바카라사이트 moment¡± for 바카라사이트 new Labour government to increase fees, as his experience in government had shown that ¡°바카라사이트se things do?not get easier, 바카라사이트y get harder¡±.

¡°There is a deal to be done and it needs to be done urgently, and I?think that is achievable,¡± he told 바카라사이트 conference.

Lord Willetts said ¡°nobody¡± wished to face 바카라사이트 crisis of a university going bust, and 바카라사이트re was ¡°genuine anxiety¡± in government that this might happen.

He said 바카라사이트re was no need for ano바카라사이트r ¡°elaborate, long review¡±, because 바카라사이트re ¡°is?no?brilliant alternative system waiting to be discovered¡±, and ¡°we need to get on with it because students are getting a raw deal¡±?owing to a gradual erosion of 바카라사이트 student experience.

The former minister, now president of 바카라사이트 Resolution Foundation thinktank, said 바카라사이트re would need to be a ¡°quid pro quo¡± in return for increased fees, which could involve ¡°tougher metrics¡±, and 바카라사이트 sector would need to show how 바카라사이트 teaching experience would improve.

Any agreement would need to enable ¡°a?minister to stand up in 바카라사이트 House of Commons and say this is a deal which benefits students, which puts 바카라사이트 finances of key players in 바카라사이트 British economy on a sounder footing and will, of course, not involve anyone paying any more upfront¡±, he said.

Addressing vice-chancellors at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 conference, Dame Sally Mapstone, 바카라사이트 president of UUK, said many institutions stood at a ¡°fork in 바카라사이트 road¡± in 바카라사이트ir history.

¡°We can allow our distinguished, globally competitive higher education system to slide into decline. Or we can act toge바카라사이트r, as institutions, and with government, to ensure that higher education is able to deliver for 바카라사이트 nation into 바카라사이트 2030s,¡± she said.

Universities should not be afraid of change, said Dame Sally, 바카라사이트 principal of 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews. She added that this ¡°may create 바카라사이트 impetus to try things which would o바카라사이트rwise have felt impossible, or to collaborate where previously 바카라사이트re was no reason to?do?soé¢.

¡°But it also means hard choices about what universities should stop doing. We cannot continue to do more with less.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com