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| Higher tuition fees caused 'wild swings' in student numbers, figures show | Higher tuition fees caused 'wild swings' in student numbers, figures show |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The introduction of higher fees last autumn caused "wild and dangerous swings" in enrolments at UK universities, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). | The introduction of higher fees last autumn caused "wild and dangerous swings" in enrolments at UK universities, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). |
| The number of students starting degree courses fell 12% when fees of up to £9,000 were introduced last year, but figures show that some institutions' cohorts expanded last October as they took advantage of a new policy allowing them to take unlimited numbers of students achieving at least AAB grades at A-level. | The number of students starting degree courses fell 12% when fees of up to £9,000 were introduced last year, but figures show that some institutions' cohorts expanded last October as they took advantage of a new policy allowing them to take unlimited numbers of students achieving at least AAB grades at A-level. |
| London Metropolitan University suffered the biggest losses (-43%) as it struggled to recover from the revocation of its licence to sponsor international students, also a major blow to its reputation among home students. The numbers enrolling at the University of Southampton (-13%), the University of Liverpool (-10%), the University of Sheffield (-9%), the University of Birmingham (-7%), the University of Leeds (-6%), Imperial (-6%), and Queen Mary, University of London (-6%) all fell on 2011. | London Metropolitan University suffered the biggest losses (-43%) as it struggled to recover from the revocation of its licence to sponsor international students, also a major blow to its reputation among home students. The numbers enrolling at the University of Southampton (-13%), the University of Liverpool (-10%), the University of Sheffield (-9%), the University of Birmingham (-7%), the University of Leeds (-6%), Imperial (-6%), and Queen Mary, University of London (-6%) all fell on 2011. |
| University College London (+22%), Cardiff University (+13%), King's College London (+12%) and the University of Edinburgh (+11%) increased their intake. But other research-intensive institutions did not escape the impact of higher fees. | University College London (+22%), Cardiff University (+13%), King's College London (+12%) and the University of Edinburgh (+11%) increased their intake. But other research-intensive institutions did not escape the impact of higher fees. |
| Further education colleges also experienced falls in the number of students enrolling on their higher education courses. Newham College of Further Education (-56% from 149 to 65 students), Walsall College (-48%, from 92 to 47 students) and City of Sunderland College (-44%, from 108 to 60 students) are among 10 further education colleges whose HE student cohorts shrank last autumn. | |
| Greenwich School of Management, a private university criticised by the higher education regulator the Quality Assurance Agency, also saw a 50% drop in its student intake, from 456 to 227 students. A QAA report on the institution published last September found that the "quality of student learning opportunities" at the institution "requires improvement to meet UK expectations". | |
| Shabana Mahmood MP, shadow minister for universities and science, said the figures showed the chaotic impact of government policies on higher education. | Shabana Mahmood MP, shadow minister for universities and science, said the figures showed the chaotic impact of government policies on higher education. |
| "Ucas reports wild and dangerous swings – with some huge losers and some winners – but the variations show severe volatility in the system that should be a concern for everyone. The government must now answer for the damage it has done to those universities that have suffered as a consequence of their reforms and decision to raise fees to £9,000. | "Ucas reports wild and dangerous swings – with some huge losers and some winners – but the variations show severe volatility in the system that should be a concern for everyone. The government must now answer for the damage it has done to those universities that have suffered as a consequence of their reforms and decision to raise fees to £9,000. |
| "With every type of university reporting significant falls in students, including many in the Russell Group, this is a problem for all of higher education and shows once again how raising fees and implementing now-discredited student number control systems has done such damage." | "With every type of university reporting significant falls in students, including many in the Russell Group, this is a problem for all of higher education and shows once again how raising fees and implementing now-discredited student number control systems has done such damage." |
| Drops in student numbers in cities such as Manchester and Leeds would have a devastating impact on local economies, she said Patrick McGhee, vice-chancellor of the University of East London and chair of the university thinktank Million+, said the decline in numbers studying part time was also a concern, adding: "The need for the government to launch a campaign to promote the value of higher education is now all too obvious." | Drops in student numbers in cities such as Manchester and Leeds would have a devastating impact on local economies, she said Patrick McGhee, vice-chancellor of the University of East London and chair of the university thinktank Million+, said the decline in numbers studying part time was also a concern, adding: "The need for the government to launch a campaign to promote the value of higher education is now all too obvious." |
| Earlier this week Million+ and the consultancy firm London Economics published a report which assessed the economic value of a UK degree. This concluded that investment in higher education produced a rate of return of more than 10% for the Treasury. It also found that getting a degree was likely to provide people over their lifetimes with better employment prospects and higher earnings in spite of the economic downturn. | Earlier this week Million+ and the consultancy firm London Economics published a report which assessed the economic value of a UK degree. This concluded that investment in higher education produced a rate of return of more than 10% for the Treasury. It also found that getting a degree was likely to provide people over their lifetimes with better employment prospects and higher earnings in spite of the economic downturn. |