A sustainable funding environment is essential for universities.
Universities receive income from diverse sources: students, businesses, government, charities, and from both domestic and international sources. Through careful and responsive financial management, universities use this income to:
- deliver an outstanding learning experience to students, with high quality teaching
- generate world-class research
- maximise their contribution to the economy and society
Universities' income is affected by government policies on the system of undergraduate and postgraduate student funding, and funding for research and innovation. Therefore these policies need to take into account their impact on the long-term financial sustainability of universities.
Our work on university funding
We work to ensure the overall financial health of the higher education sector through:
- Shaping government policies that affect the financial sustainability of universities. We work with HM Treasury, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England on the development and implementation of policies such as the 2015 Comprehensive Spending Review.
- Taking steps to improve the visibility and transparency of the financial management of universities.
- Identifying risks to the financial health of the sector, opportunities to improve it, and helping universities develop their strategies in light of these.
Our work on funding is overseen by our Funding Policy Network, chaired by Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath.
