Response to the release today of data from both the Office for Students (OfS) and the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) on higher education sector finances, Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK said:
"Through the skilled workforce and the innovations they produce, universities have a key role to play in the country’s future success, but this analysis illustrates how the financial situation facing our world-class institutions remains extremely challenging.
“Universities are working hard to ensure their long-term stability, making tough decisions to control costs and looking for ways to do more with less , and we are seeing many examples of major transformation. The decision to increase fees in England in line with inflation was the right thing to do to begin to address the challenge, and government should be congratulated for grasping the nettle, but the task is not yet complete. Indeed, changes to visa policy, the introduction of a tax on international students and increased pension and national insurance costs have added to the pressure. We also fear that DFE is about to cut grant funding to English universities to support the cost of wider teaching. They should not do that.
“Universities can be real drivers of economic renewal but if we want a world-class system which delivers for students, employers and communities across the country, we need a serious conversation how degrees are funded and whether the government’s share matches the value universities deliver for wider society.”
Notes to editors:
At Universities UK, we harness the power of the UK’s universities and create the conditions for them to thrive. We are the collective voice of 142 universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, bringing them together to pursue a common cause: thriving universities, serving society. We aim to ensure our universities can transform the lives of more individuals, drive greater growth and create flourishing places through the knowledge and skills they generate, while being globally competitive centres of research making ground-breaking discoveries. Universities UK acts on behalf of universities, represented by their heads of institution. www.universitiesuk.ac.uk