University fees may rise

Monday, 27 July 2009 12:02

University tuition fees could rise following a new government review.

A review of tuition fees later this year was announced today by industry secretary Peter Mandelson.

He maintained there were questions around how higher education is funded and the issue of access to a university education for those from poorer backgrounds.

"Any institution that wants to use greater costs to the student to fund excellence must face an equal expectation to ensure that its services remain accessible to more than just those with the ability to pay," Lord Mandelson told an audience of university vice chancellors at London's Birkbeck College.

"Whatever funding mix for higher education we develop, there must always be a link between what an institution charges and its performance in widening access and supporting those without the ability to pay."

He added: "We have to face up to the challenge of paying for excellence. Bluntly put: excellence is not cheap."

The comments are leading commentators to suggest universities will be given the green light to increase tuition fees, but only once targets for wider participation are met.

However, Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group which represents the 20 top universities, claimed larger university fees were not holding back poorer students.

"It may be counter-intuitive, but actually we know from the evidence that finance plays very little role in determining whether a child goes to university," she said.

"So the evidence shows that if a working-class child manages to overcome all the barriers they face and achieve three good A-levels, they're just as likely as their middle-class peer to go to university."

Dr Piatt added there was a large increase in applications to universities this year, which showed fees and access were not at odds with each other.

Only one in three students now comes straight from school. Critics have said one reason for this is the necessity for children from poorer backgrounds to delay their university education because of the need to save for tuition fees.

With the current financial crisis and rising unemployment those would-be students may be forced to delay university even longer, while others are choosing to head to university as the jobs market is proving hard for young workers with limited experience.

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