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UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced that university tuition fees in England are\u00a0set to rise<\/a>\u00a0next academic year, with the maximum fee increasing by\u00a0\u00a3285 to \u00a39,535<\/a>. This will be the first increase in university education for domestic undergraduate students since 2017, when fees were raised to \u00a39,250.<\/p>\n The additional income is sorely needed. Data from the\u00a0Institute for Fiscal Studies<\/a>\u00a0shows that the money spent on undergraduates\u2019 education has been declining in real terms. On average, \u00a39,600 was allocated per UK undergraduate student in 2023-24, compared to almost \u00a312,000 in 2012-13. On the other hand, other educational stages \u2013 early years and primary education \u2013 have seen real term increases since 2012.<\/p>\n Had fees been linked to inflation since their raise to \u00a39,000 in 2012, they would have reached nearly\u00a0\u00a315,000<\/a>\u00a0by now.<\/p>\n At some point, fewer resources translate into lower quality. Universities have continually been asked to do more with less.<\/p>\n As such, they have adapted to the conditions of the market by increasing recruitment of international students, whose annual fees often exceed \u00a320,000. This was a rational response to domestic capped prices. But recent visa restrictions and shifting international policies have affected this strategy.<\/p>\n At the same time, continually rising operational costs due to inflation, staff salaries and increased pension payments have, as of November 2024, led to over 70 UK universities announcing\u00a0staff restructuring and redundancies<\/a>. Next year\u2019s increase in employer national insurance contributions will raise costs further.<\/p>\n In the academic year 2022-23, a\u00a0third of higher education providers<\/a>\u00a0had ready funds to last them less than 100 days. A similar number\u00a0brought in less money<\/a>\u00a0than they spent over the year.<\/p>\n The next survival step is likely institutional mergers and closures. But these are steps that are often poorly received politically \u2013 and with good reason.<\/p>\n Universities are anchoring institutions in the towns and cities where they are located. They are often among an area\u2019s largest employers and contribute to local economies by bringing students and their spending to local shops and services. A university closure would have huge potential economic ramifications for an area. Avoiding this is a key concern for any government. We're fixing the foundations of higher education to deliver change for students. pic.twitter.com\/xKimhh1nSY<\/a><\/p>\n — Bridget Phillipson (@bphillipsonMP) November 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Financial struggles<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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