28th December 2009 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Lord Mandelson has announced that government funding for universities in England will be cut by £398m in the forthcoming academic year, the BBC have reported. However, Mandelson has also recently asked every university to protect their quality, and maintain student access to higher education.
The cut confirms previously announced efficiency savings of £180m and £35m, but reduces funding by a further £185m on top. In addition, the government have said that they would like to see more degrees completed over two years, rather than three, particularly vocational courses which are sometimes prolonged due to the idea that every undergraduate degree should last for three years.
Lord Mandelson has also stated that some universities recruited more students than they should have this year, and will ask for a rebate from those universities, and confirmation that the numbers for 2010-2011 will be reduced. The government has emphasised that this is a special case due to the economic climate, but the Conservatives have condemned the move, arguing that it’s unfair to penalise universities for meeting, and exceeding government targets.