Unlimited tuition fees, unlimited student concerns?

New research could lead to some students paying unlimited tuition fees in upcoming years, a recent study has revealed.

The research, which measured the earnings of graduates, according to the university they attended, has prompted suggestions that fees could be based on the institution attended, with students studying at top universities almost paying unlimited fees.

Neil Shepard, professor of Economics at Oxford University, and Anna Vigoles, professor of Education at the University of Cambridge, have warned that the policy could have dangerous implications if it is implemented.

By clearly staggering the status of universities in this way, and implying that some degrees are better than others, it could lead employers to make their selection process more selective.

This may feed concerns that society’s elite are allowed easier access to top jobs.

Peter Dunn, head of communications at Warwick University, has said that Warwick has “no plans” to change its funding and charge the “unlimited fees” which have been suggested.

He does however suggest that staggered fees based on the institution attended are fair: “Some universities are indeed better than others, in different ways, in their different missions. Indeed UK newspapers have tried to measure those differences in various league tables for almost two decades now.”

Further developments into this idea will come from further testing, with graduate earnings in the long term set to be measured.

Prof. Vigoles has stated that this new research will help the Government get a clearer understanding of how much effect getting a degree from a certain university has on a student’s future earnings.

It will gather information from those “who have been in the labour market for a number of years (unlike existing data, which really only goes a few years after graduation)”.

Alex Fox, a first-year studying Classics at Warwick, said: “It’s extremely unfair on students because obviously the universities would charge stupid amounts.

“If they capped (the fees) it would be a good idea, but the idea of it being unlimited is ridiculously unfair.”

It has been suggested that the new data could be used by a new government if elected in 2015.

The data would mean that they could lower tuition fees to £6,000 from the current £9,000, however universities proving that they should charge more could be allowed to charge above that threshold if they fund their own loan write-offs on fees above £6,000.

Libby Hackett, chief executive of the University Alliance, commented: “I do think the policy implications are potentially quite dangerous, because the research has an underlying implication, which is that those graduates with high earnings have undertaken the ‘best’ degrees.

“The implied logic is that those universities or courses with the highest earnings are the best, and therefore should be allowed to charge higher fees.”

The publication date of the study is yet to be determined, although some results are expected by the end of the year.