5th June 2019 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The government is imminently expected to announce a reduction of maximum university tuition fees to £7,500. Reported on the BBC, this change is seen as part of Theresa May’s legacy before she departs her post. The Brexit discussions are the reason this announcement has been delayed for so long, and the intention is to create more funding for vocational courses and make them more attractive to students.
The announcement will not be a formal decision as such, but will be a series of recommendations from the review into further education funding. However, universities have already expressed their concerns if the reduction in fees does not coincide with increased funding for universities to replace the deficit. Otherwise it’s claimed that lower fees will simply mean a lower quality of higher education for students.
One of the government’s concerns is the value for money offered by university courses, and it’s unclear whether they plan to suggest changes in an attempt to prevent the expansion of university places. One such change could be to state a minimum threshold for A Level grades with 3 Ds being suggested, but this has already met opposition from the universities minister.
Lower student numbers would achieve the government’s aim, but it’s argued that simply increasing direct university funding would achieve the same result. A spokesperson for the University of Buckingham said that further education of all kinds is important, but we should be investing more in higher education and not vice-versa.
The review also encompasses costs for students amid worries that lower tuition fees will present an opportunity to raise accommodation costs. The announcements will also consider whether there should be a return to means tested grants and if the rate and time students have to pay off their loans after graduating should be changed.