Summary
The higher education regulator in England, the Office for Students, has suggested linking university fees to teaching quality. Currently, all universities charge the same fee for undergraduate degrees, but this proposal aims to incentivize better teaching. The government will decide on any fee changes, and further plans will be discussed in an upcoming white paper.
Key Facts
- The Office for Students (OfS) suggests that tuition fees could be connected to the quality of teaching at universities.
- All universities in England and Wales currently charge a tuition fee of £9,535 for undergraduate degrees.
- The OfS ranks universities into four categories: gold, silver, bronze, and "requires improvement."
- Any changes to university fees are to be decided by the government.
- A government white paper on higher education will be published in the autumn.
- More than 40% of universities in England expected a financial deficit by summer.
- "Differential fee levels" are meant to provide incentives for teaching improvement.
- The specifics of how fees would change based on teaching quality are not yet clear.
