Policy Exchange tuition proposals labelled 'disastrous'

The National Union of Students (NUS) has welcomed a report criticising universities silence on the issue of tuition fees, whilst simultaneously highlighting the potentially “disastrous” effects of its suggestions.

The NUS warned against the recommendations put forth by the centre-right think-tank Policy Exchange but welcomed the criticisms aimed at those unwilling to take a stance within the funding debate.

NUS President Wes Streeting said: “While there are fundamental flaws in this report, it is a timely and welcome contribution to the debate on the future of student funding, particularly at a time when so few in the higher education sector are willing to put their heads over the parapet and state their position in public.

“It is quite right for Policy Exchange to call out vice chancellors' 'resounding silence', and to criticise their failure to account fully for where students' money has already been spent.”

The report calls for students in England to pay at least £5000 in tuition fees per year to “avoid serious deterioration of quality in our universities”.

Anna Fazackerley, author of the report and Head of the Education Unit at Policy Exchange said:

“Universities saw their government funding slashed last week, with rumours of more reductions to come. The future looks pretty grim. Teaching has been under-funded for years, and further cuts to budgets could lead to a serious deterioration in the quality of the student experience.

“We already know that vice-chancellors are starting to think about things like scrapping departments, or admitting many more foreign students, who pay higher fees, which would fundamentally alter the landscape of higher education in this country.”

The report attacked universities for not speaking out and engaging in a debate to find a solution for the funding crisis, stating: “The resounding silence on this subject has done universities no favours”

Mr Streeting spoke out specifically against the rise in fees advocated by the think tank, stating it would be wrong to expose students to potential risks and mistakes of a market in higher education.

“Such a market would reinforce social and economic privilege, and price poorer students out of the most prestigious universities. Also, it is disingenuous for Policy Exchange to call for higher fees without providing any information on how this money might actually be spent, especially as they have criticised vice-chancellors for a lack of openness elsewhere in the same report.”

Les Ebdon, chair of the university think-tank Million+ which represents most post 1992 universities, said the suggestions put forth by the 'More Fees Please?' report would create even more barriers for a system already burdened by a small number of places for a record number of applicants.

“The simplistic approach of this report, which proposes changes to the contributions made by students whilst at university, could have an immensely damaging impact on participation.

“By working on very traditional assumptions about who is now going to university, the Policy Exchange report also shows an amazing ignorance of the huge numbers of students now entering university with a variety of qualifications and experience.

“It's nonsense to suggest that there aren't thousands of people from lower and modest incomes being denied places at university. This year alone up to a quarter of a million well-qualified applicants could miss out. This report's proposals would simply serve to put yet more barriers in their way.”