Education Committee announces session on higher education funding

Chair comment

The Chair said:

“The UK’s higher education sector is in trouble. Dozens of universities are making redundancies and cuts to courses, trying to stay afloat amid uncertainty over where their money is coming from. 

“The Education Committee will look under the bonnet at what is going on. In a focused single evidence session on 8 April, we will examine the perfect storm bearing down on institutions, including fluctuations in domestic and international student numbers, pension contributions, and the rate of tuition fees. We will also look at the role of research funding in supporting higher education and the distribution of financial challenges across different higher education institutions.  

“But we will also investigate what this all means for students and staff – the people at the centre of the higher education sector – including the possible impact of funding issues on student experience, quality of courses, pastoral care, and academics’ pay and conditions. What protections are there for students – who are taking on significant levels of debt and facing cost-of-living pressures – if courses close, lecturers leave, or if we reach a stage where universities close or merge? 

“We will question experts from across the sector who can speak to these pressing issues, and as well as shining a light on the scale and impact of funding issues, we’ll be looking for solutions to protect students and our higher education system as a whole.” 

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Image: House of Commons/Roger Harris