University funding/finances

Indexed fees and some movement on student maintenance seen as key goals for coming spending review, with economic climate reducing chances of more systemic reform

University opens voluntary severance scheme after struggling on domestic and international recruitment, after cutting jobs and courses last year

Minister rules out state taking on more of the cost of paying for higher education

Bid to hand funding council ability to intervene amid worsening institutional finances could be open for abuse, critics fear

While public universities concede to government demands, their private counterparts look less likely to back down

Hepi director argues that England’s funding system is ‘not broken’ but just needs to catch up with inflation – and that ministers should get behind it

Analysis of 113 institutional accounts reveals almost a third have posted a deficit, and one in four reported a negative cash flow

Institutions falling short of recruitment targets will have to reform in order to receive subsidies, with extra on offer to those which merge

Institution plans £20 million in ‘pre-emptive’ savings but is threatened with strike action by union branch pointing to recent budget surpluses

English students oppose increase in tuition fees but uplift in maintenance support makes move more ‘palatable’, finds Hepi survey

Changes in fiscal rules make hoped-for increases in direct funding grants for English higher education less likely, IFS report finds

Alma mater of Daniel Day-Lewis, Patrick Stewart and Olivia Colman says ‘new approach’ will focus on ‘intensive postgraduate courses’

Northumbria leaders say modern universities will be forced to rein in pay rises if they are compelled to offer expensive Teachers’ Pension Scheme to academics

Losses at Queen’s, Heriot-Watt and UWS, along with Ulster, underline UK-wide nature of funding challenges

2024 saw swathes of jobs cuts amid concerns about universities going bankrupt. So is the sector now in a better position to weather the adverse financial climate? Are even worse storms ahead? Or will Labour undertake the systemic change that might see the sun shine again? Tom Williams reports

Out-of-hours support run out of Northumbria University now works with a third of the sector

Leicester, Surrey, Brunel and Hull also report losses in financial accounts for 2023-24

King’s College London reported an operating deficit of £19 million once the impact from pensions and donations are excluded

At least 16 institutions announced plans to shut in 2024, with closures expected to increase significantly in the years ahead

Former University of the Arts London vice-chancellor to lead work aimed at finding ways universities can collaborate to secure savings

Need to meet commitments on loans taken out in boom years forces institutions to accept worse terms and conditions, or look to non-traditional sources for new funding

Polling indicates lack of awareness over sector’s funding turmoil, with public seeing more international enrolments as solution to difficulties

Reforms will redraw funding system and create tertiary education commission, but questions remain over how much cash will materialise

Universities must rethink their use of agents and discounts and put more effort into securing and retaining enrolments, consultant says

Remaining staff will lose access to Teachers’ Pensions Scheme as union attacks ‘Scrooge playbook’ cuts

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reflect scale of growth in post-pandemic, pre-crackdown rebound

Despite the large increases in surpluses, top-ranked universities both report net cash outflows in operating activities of more than £58 million

Government urged to rebalance payments to universities to align with high-cost teaching periods

Ministers under pressure to protect struggling universities from bankruptcy

University leaders warn region’s public institutions will ‘fall behind’ without funding increase

Agreement between coalition and opposition parties to reduce budget cuts does little to assuage sector leaders’ fears 

Bringing institutions under same roof can create efficiencies but won’t solve financial crises in both sectors, leaders agree

Dedicated source of capital funding tops umbrella body’s election wish list

The University of London has been held up as an example of how institutions can collaborate during tough financial times. But how easy would it be to replicate elsewhere?

Ian Gillespie had told staff last month that the university was facing a potential £30 million deficit

The year is ending with an ongoing permacrisis for higher education. Political rhetoric has improved but the sector still needs a vision for its future

While it may be reluctant to attempt widespread reform of universities, economic circumstances may force Labour’s hand, experts believe

Repurposing Covid-era cash allows government to claim extra investment but institutions remain in ‘precarious state’

Increase to ‘ensure Welsh institutions remain competitive’ will be second time fees are hiked in space of a year

Higher education institutions ‘in danger’ as a result of controversial budget measures, umbrella group says, with some closing in protest

Loan scheme pioneer highlights moral hazard of Australia’s ‘Byzantine’ way of bankrolling master’s places

‘Challenger’ institutions dealt blow as regulator temporarily shuts down processes seen as crucial for launching as a provider

‘Big reset’ opportunity now spent when sector most needs it, says Duncan Maskell

Union sees need to borrow for building projects behind latest round of bloodletting

Process for transferring students left stranded by market exit in need of a rethink, says one of the few leaders who has gone through it

Universities should no longer give the ‘cold shoulder’ to businesses that can potentially perform functions more effectively, says Ken Sloan

Shitij Kapur warns sector has already used up a lot of political capital on small fee rise that will not solve institutional funding woes

UK sector leaders expect trust issues as culture changes, but ‘burning platform’ of financial crisis will focus minds

Emerging institutions’ aspirations snubbed as old-guard administrators focus on a vanishing bottom line

‘Invisible regulators’ to ask harder questions of UK sector investment decisions, professor claims

Keeping costs down ‘not an objective’ for research-addicted sector, says accountancy professor  

Protest comes as House of Representatives prepares to debate controversial cuts to higher education and research of more than €1 billion

Questions cause alarm but the panel ‘wouldn’t be doing its job’ if it avoided them, commentators say

‘Quite a few’ institutions actively considering mergers, claims David Maguire

Little prospect of convincing politicians or the public of the need to raise fees higher, leaving universities dependent on an upturn in economy and international student market, says Shitij Kapur

Better to revise the previous government’s tuition fee hikes than redirect taxpayers’ money into wealthy graduates’ pockets, says Maxwell Yong

As questions about the size and shape of UK higher education persist, debates about the part number controls could play are making a comeback

English fee rise does little to relieve pressure on institutions, with increased staff costs likely to swallow additional funding

The removal of recruitment caps in 2015 was hailed by ministers as a boon to institutions’ and students’ ambitions. But the tuition fee’s declining value and the Russell Group’s ever-growing market share now threaten the viability of some institutions, and calls are growing for a U-turn, writes Juliette Rowsell

Announcement follows the departure of 400 staff members last year as efforts to close budget black hole continue