The UK’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has announced that tuition fees will increase in line with inflation in England from next year.
The white paper was brought to Parliament, yesterday (20th October). But what is a white paper? It’s a proposal of policies set out by the government in Parliament they wish to implement.
The white paper gives the opportunity to consulate and debate on a policy area, before bringing forward the legislation to be voted on. The government say that university tuition fees will also soon be linked to university quality. Therefore if a university’s offering is poorer than those performing highly it the cost of fees will be less.
It appears many universities welcome this increase as many have been struggling with finances over the past few years.
In response to the government announcement, Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK said:
Today’s white paper offers a much-needed reset for our university system. It makes clear that universities are a huge national asset, rightly admired around the world. We need them to be in great shape if we want national renewal.
“The Government has ambitions for our universities to make a stronger contribution to economic growth and individual opportunity, and we share that ambition. It also recognises the financial challenges which are putting pressure on that strength. The decision to raise undergraduate fees in line with inflation in England will help to halt the long-term erosion of universities’ financial sustainability, following a decade of fee freezes.”
Chief Executive of the Russell Group Dr Tim Bradshaw said:
“It was encouraging to hear the Secretary of State recognise the world-class reputation of our universities. To preserve this, there are urgent financial challenges to tackle. That’s why we’re pleased to see tuition fees linked to inflation moving forward, as a first step in putting the sector on a more financially sustainable footing.”
“It’s also encouraging to see a commitment to increasing cost recovery on research and protecting invaluable curiosity-driven research. However, government should also rethink the proposed international tuition fee levy that will seriously hamper universities’ ability to invest in students, research and communities.”
On top of the tuition fee increase, maintenance loans are set to increase as well.
However, it looks like most students will end up with more debt as both loans increase.
Benny Fiddimore, who studies at the University of Salford, said: “Fees seem to go up each year. Everyone is struggling to make ends meet right now, and this just puts students on even more of a back foot before they’ve even began their career.”