Инженерный вестник: UK: Tuition at Many British Universities Could Nearly Double, Under Government Proposal

By Aisha Labi

Tuition at some British universities could soon increase to as much as £9,000, or $14,430, nearly tripling the rate at some institutions, under plans announced by the British government Wednesday.

In a statement to Parliament, Britain's universities minister, David Willetts, proposed removing the current cap on undergraduate tuition of £3,290, or $5,275, which is charged by most universities in England, and setting the new limit at £6,000, or $9,620, for the majority of institutions.

A handful of universities would be allowed to set their rates as high as £9,000, but would be subjected to greater scrutiny to show that they are making efforts to recruit disadvantaged students who might not be able to afford the increase.

To ensure that universities that charge above £6,000 in tuition "take account of their particular responsibilities to widen participation and fair access, we will introduce a tougher regime of sanctions," Mr. Willetts said. Institutions would be expected to have programs "such as outreach initiatives to attract more pupils to apply from disadvantaged backgrounds, and targeted scholarships and financial support for poorer students."

Mr. Willetts's statement marks the government's official response to an independent review of higher-education financing that was published last month. The Browne report recommended a host of measures, including a controversial proposal to allow universities to set their own tuition rates without a cap. Almost immediately after the publication of the report, it became clear that the government, which consists of a coalition of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Parties, would not pursue the recommendation that the cap be removed, and would instead opt for raising it significantly. The government has now articulated a two-pronged strategy, involving what Mr. Willetts described as "a basic threshold" of £6,000 and an "absolute limit" of £9,000, which is likely to fuel fears of the creation of a two-tiered higher-education system.

Full text of the article - on The Chronicle.com website

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