Wales, April 21: The number of students could drop by 36,000 next year as so many UK universities have ignored the government’s pleas and decided to charge maximum £9,000 fees.
A survey into the universities’ plans show that almost two-thirds of the universities are going to charge the maximum fees for all of their courses, irrespective of the calls that vice-chancellors should only impose £9,000 fees in “exceptional circumstances.”
Next year’s higher education settlement was based on an assumption that universities would charge students £7,500 on average. But it is feared that will now be closer to £8,500.
Ministers have already threatened to withdraw some places at the most expensive universities and warned of further higher education cuts to combat “collective overpricing.”
Speaking in London on Tuesday, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, claimed that the number of students could be cut by up to 36,000 and the entire system may end up losing money.
“This unfair and shambolic tuition fees policy is now unraveling,” he said.
“It will cost taxpayers more, it will cost students more and it may cost thousands of young people their university places,” added Red Ed.
Last year, some 377,500 British and European students were admitted to English universities.
Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union, said, “This policy has become a runaway horse and, without strong intervention soon, could have disastrous effects.”
So far, all the elite Russell Group of universities have announced that they would charge students £9,000.
A number of former polytechnics also want to levy the maximum, including Oxford Brookes, Lincoln, the University of Central Lancashire and East London.
——-Agencies