Cut Tuition Fees and Boost Adult Education, Says Think Tank

A graduation ceremony at the University of Suffolk's campus in Ipswich, England, in October 2015. (PA)

The Government should cut the tuition fee cap for all university courses from £9,250 to £6,000 as part of a radical overhaul of post-18 education and training, a think tank has recommended.

In its report published on Wednesday, the EDSK noted that many colleges and independent higher education (HE) providers are already expected to deliver degree-level programmes for £6,000 due to their lower fee cap, which suggests this figure represents an appropriate “baseline” for measuring the costs of delivering post-18—or tertiary—education.

Authored by EDSK director Tom Richmond and researcher Eleanor Regan, the report notes that “£6,000 a year is also a significant uplift from the £4,753 awarded per student for educating 16 to 19-year-olds, meaning that there is no reason why high-quality courses cannot be delivered with this lower fee cap.”

Lowering the cap would relieve some of the financial burden from students. The report acknowledges, however, that many specialist courses will require additional funding over this level.

The recommendation comes after the University and Colleges Union called on the government to issue emergency rescue packages to universities struggling with their finances, with many institutions closing courses and making staff redundant.

Responding, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told BBC Radio 4 on Monday that universities are autonomous and are expected to manage their own budgets, “and I would expect them to do that without seeking any calls on the taxpayer.”

A report from the Office for Students in May warned that by 2026–2027 nearly two-thirds of HE institutions will be in deficit and that 40 percent will face low liquidity at the end of this year.

New Body to Oversee All Tertiary Education

Capping university tuition fees is part of the EDSK’s wider recommendations to create parity between all streams of adult education, both in-class and in the workplace, and both academic and practical.

Report authors recommend the creation an integrated post-18 education system that brings together HE, further education (FE)—which includes any study after compulsory education that’s not part of HE—apprenticeships, and independent training providers.

This would put these tertiary education channels on even ground, ending the bias towards HE and helping to create a more skills-based workforce by boosting the other education sectors, the think tank said.

The EDSK recommends this new education channel should have a single approach to funding, oversight, and regulation, with the formation of a new independent body, the National Tertiary Education Council.

Mr. Richmond, a former Department for Education (DfE) ministerial adviser, said England’s post-18 education system “will never reach its full potential in terms of driving economic growth and productivity if full-time university degrees continue to be placed on a pedestal above other qualifications and courses.

“Vital as universities are for delivering education and training, it is time to end the enduring bias towards higher education in the way that we fund institutions and students.”

He added, “While the political focus on the financial health of universities is understandable, the Government would be much better off using its resources to build an integrated higher education, further education and apprenticeship system so that learners of all ages and at all levels can find the right pathway for them.”

Education Cold Spots

The report also noted that currently there is an “unstable and incoherent provider landscape,” which includes “cold spots” in apprenticeship provision in parts of the country. The think tank referenced research by UCAS that found that the most common reason for those who did not proceed with an application for an apprenticeship was because they could not find one in their local area. The overall fall in apprenticeships had occurred in areas of high deprivation.

To help resolve the issue of an uneven education landscape that does not work in its local context, the think tank advised a localised model for delivering tertiary education, where Combined Authorities work closely with universities, colleges, apprenticeship providers, and employers to create a Local Tertiary Education Plan.

The EDSK also said that devolution is “poised to become an important part of any solution to upskill and reskill adults at all levels.”

The EDSK also proposes that universities—as well as other tertiary institutions—are funded based on how much they contribute to local and regional economic prosperity, telling The Epoch Times this could include helping to deliver qualifications in core skills like literacy and numeracy or specialist degree-level training.

“This approach will hopefully make all universities think harder about how much of a contribution they are making to their local economy and local communities,” Mr. Richmond told The Epoch Times.

Responding to the EDSK report, Universities UK (UUK), which represents HE institutions, said that universities work with higher education and vocational training providers, and understand the financial pressures they are under.

“However, the response to this cannot be the defunding of a world-leading higher education system,” a UUK spokesperson said, adding that current fee caps have meant universities have been operating at a loss of over £5 billion on research and £1 billion on teaching, each year.

“Universities are central to the economy both locally and nationally, and a long-term, sustainable funding system is absolutely necessary to deliver the growth and opportunity this country needs,” they added.

The Epoch Times contacted the DfE for comment.

PA Media contributed to this report.