The writing has been on the wall (or the blackboard) for a while. U.K. university tuition fees for domestic students are poised to increase for the first time in seven years as institutions confront an incipient financial crisis that has already pushed an estimated 40% of higher-education providers into deficit.
The change is overdue, but the size of the likely increase looks inadequate for the task.
Indexing fees to inflation is an essential step that must be taken as soon as possible, Universities U.K., which represents 141 institutions, said in a "blueprint for change” published recently. The amount paid by undergraduates should climb annually by the lower of 2.5% or the inflation rate, Peter Mandelson, a former Labour minister and the author of a chapter in the document, wrote in the Guardian. Government officials are discussing plans to raise annual fees to £10,500 ($14,000) from £9,250 over five years, the Times reported, equating roughly to the same rate of increase.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.