Universities demand tuition fees hike, as students could face £13k price tag

A group of 141 universities, including the University of Warwick, has called for an increase in university tuition fees to up to £13,000 a year.

A proposal from Universities UK (UUK) reported by the BBC argued that fees need to rise with inflation to maintain a financial future for Britain’s largest education institutions.

About 40% of British universities are expected to enter budget deficits this year.

UK nationals attending university this year are expected to pay £9,250 in fees to cover their tuition – a sum that has been capped for English universities for the past seven years.

Universities have suggested a rise in income to £12–13,000 a year would be necessary to keep universities afloat

However, universities have suggested a rise in income to £12–13,000 a year would be necessary to keep universities afloat and provide the necessary quality of education and facilities.

The future of UK universities is arguably uncertain, with the previous application season having seen universities aggressively recruit more students in pursuit of funding. Inflation has meant that in real terms, the £9,250 tuition fee cap is only worth what £6,000 would have purchased in 2016.

Cost-cutting measures for universities to financially break even are realistically going to detriment the student body the most. Save the Student has estimated that average student living costs total around £1,104 a month, a sum often not covered by student maintenance loans.

Many students are now forced into meal planning, managing bills, and paying a staggering amount of rent, regardless of received tuition fees.

Considering the consistent rise of cost-of-living prices, any change to the current tuition fee regime will likely deter individuals from moving to university, let alone applying in the first place, worsening the funding crisis further.

The University of Warwick is yet to comment on this proposed change directly but has suggested it “may increase fees in line with any inflationary uplift” present through economic changes.

What we’re looking for from the new government is the opportunity for a reset

Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, UUK President

The severity of the potential change to higher education has meant some academics have acknowledged the extreme nature of such a rise.

Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor of King’s College London and one of the architects of UUK’s proposals, acknowledged that asking for a direct increase would seem “clueless” and “out-of-touch”.

He suggested that the increased fee could be a sum partly taken up by the government, rather than entirely by students.

Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, UUK President, stressed that more than anything, what universities are looking for is a “reset” with the government.

Speaking on the Today programme, she said: “What we’re looking for from the new government is the opportunity for a reset, and the opportunity to look right across the funding arrangements for fees and with students.”