Fund plan may split colleges

Changes in higher education funding could discourage collaboration between universities and colleges to the detriment of widening participation, vice-chancellors told MPs this week, Alan Thomson writes.

Gillian Slater, vice-chancellor of Bournemouth University, told the Commons's education and employment select committee of her concerns about plans by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to fund sub-degree work in FE colleges directly.

After Tuesday's hearing, Professor Slater said: "If the Hefce funds these courses directly, it may lead to a lack of collaboration between further education and higher education colleges because colleges may decide to go it alone."

The committee, which is carrying out a survey of post-16 participation in education, also heard evidence from other members of the Coalition of Modern Universities, including chairman Geoffrey Copland, vice chancellor of Westminster University.

Dr Copland said that universities, pre and post-1992, shared government aims. But he said: "We (post-92 universities) are approaching it from a different historical base. About 50 per cent of students in higher education are in post-92 universities and 70 per cent of these come through further education."