29th July 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
University fees hit the headlines over the past week with yet another rise in fees following the successful vote in parliament of the Higher Education and Research Bill. Although the increase from £9000 to £9250 per year from 2017/18 is small compared to the previous jump from £3225, it has sparked outrage from applicants and current students alike. Many major Universities, including Durham, Kent, and Royal Holloway, were criticised for publishing the increased rates on their websites before the government had formally taken the decision to raise the cap. The £9000 fee, first implemented in the academic year 2012/13, has not risen since, therefore the 2.8% increase is in line with inflation. Prospective students thinking of applying to University have the additional uncertainty as to where fees might be by the time it is their turn; inflation increases are currently predicted to let fees reach £10,000 within a decade.
Universities argue that it was time for the cap to be raised to account for the falling real world value of the £9000 over the past four years, much like the increase in 2010. There is less support, however, for the bill as a whole, including the Teaching Excellence Framework. The so-called TEF would be a parallel assessment framework to the existing Research Excellence Framework used to evaluate Universities’ research capability in assigning government funding. It has been proposed that the TEF would enable a performance based fee structure, with Universities performing better on the teaching assessment allowed to charge higher fees. Despite this, the University and College Union urged the government to reconsider the appropriateness of the controversial bill which could radically change how Universities operate; given the unprecedented changes and precarious nature of UK politics in recent weeks, along with changes in the oversight of the new system given the cabinet reshuffle, the appropriateness of any proposed changes to the HE sector needs to be re-evaluated.
Those in favour of the increase also argue that the average increase of £750 over the course of a 3 year undergraduate degree is little compared with the overall cost, which is currently estimated at around £22,200 per year on average (£23,500 in London) by the National Union of Students. However, students complain that they are already struggling to cope with tighter student finance, as loans are often insufficient to cover the costs of tuition and a student lifestyle. Along with pressure on parents to supplement their funding, many students are broadening their horizons to other sources of income, such as casual bar work and private tutoring both during and outside term-time.
This recent increase may be one too many for young students who do not wish to be saddled with unparalleled levels of debt. The question remains whether they will choose to go elsewhere for their education, or simply not attend University at all. Yet, the more optimistic observer may hope that with the dramatic fall in privately-schooled ministers in the new Tory cabinet, the hike in fees will be accompanied by a real change in access in order to widen participation.