Focus on Education

There is considerable uncertainty about the future financing for universities in England and Wales as they await the publication of the Augur review into post-eighteen education which appears to have been delayed by the ongoing difficulties associated with Brexit. The widely mooted drop in the tuition fee cap to £7,500 is one potential source of concern, especially if this is not balanced by additional government funding to make up the difference to current fee levels. Meanwhile Brexit may create another funding issue if, as is suggested in a recent article by Alex Wickham, the fees for EU students to attend universities will rise considerably in the near term to match other international students. Such a change is sure to lead to a considerable drop in the number of EU students attending UK universities (currently around one hundred and thirty thousand) and this may lead to an additional funding shortfall. For further information on the current issues surrounding universities you may wish to listen to a recent BBC Radio 4 programme, The University Time Bomb, which can be accessed here.