Call for cap on tuition fees to be lifted

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) drew fire from the NUS this week over tuition fees.

The CBI’s Higher Education task force has called for tuition fee caps to be lifted.

Many in Higher Education, especially organisations who represent students’ interests like NUS, have reacted negatively to the CBI’s proposals.

In a press release, the NUS President, Wes Streeting, called for the Government not to heed these calls and to listen to the public instead of “shadowy figures from…the Higher Education sector and from the world of business.”

A recent poll by the University and College Union (UCU) showed that over two-thirds of UK citizens are opposed to any increases in fees.

The Russell Group universities had agreed to review the status of fees and caps this year. They say they need to raise fees in order to compensate for lack of funding.

Some proposals see home fees being raised from £3,000 to £7,000 annually.

Our own Students’ Union policy regarding fees used to be in line with the NUS’s “Keep the Cap” campaign. As this campaign is replaced with plans to reach a compromise, the SU is looking to other possible solutions.

An alternative funding model is being discussed and is expected in January. This could include higher grad taxes and possibly contributions from employers.

Mo Surve, Education Sabbatical Officer, explained this change by saying that it would be more productive to stop complaining and instead take action.

The real question, according to Surve is “Should students be contributing more than the government?”

Streeting fears that if the Government and universities listen to the CBI the burden will fall on the students, decreasing their numbers.

A rise in fees would directly affect the number of students choosing to pursue university degrees. Currently the average undergraduate can expect to leave university with £18,000 in debt. Fee increase to £7,000 would increase this to around £30,000.

The NUS feared that this would cause prospective students to choose their university based on “affordability over ability.”

Without increases in scholarships and bursaries this would force many potential university students out of Higher Education. No such increases have been mentioned.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, agrees, says that big business should not be “dictate the direction” universities choose, but people working in the HE sector.

The CBI is a group of about 200,000 UK businesses which lobbies the government in their interest. It only has three representatives from the Higher Education sector.

Their task force noted that there was a surplus of graduates in proportion to graduate jobs available. They called for universities to prepare their graduates for the world of business by offering more courses tailor-made to industry.

The task force said business leaders should make clear which courses are most suited to their sectors and businesses.

Critics have questioned the influence of business on education, preferring the two worlds to remain separate.

Some have highlighted the fact that not all students want to pursue a career in this area and they may be sidelined if universities begin catering to the needs of the business world.

In a separate report, the Guardian looked at the prospects for students with creative degrees in today’s credit crunch. The creative industry is growing despite bankrupcies and slowdowns in other sectors.

Some claim that businesses already make it clear to students what is expected of them through various career fairs and internships.

The NUS headed the “Keep the Cap” campaign, which stressed that ability, not affordability should be the determining factor when choosing a Higher Education institution.

Fees for international students are not under review. The SU has a policy of only allowing international fees to rise with inflation.