Fairer fees for students

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16 November 2017

Responding to The Sutton Trust’s report ‘Fairer Fees’, Sarah Stevens, Head of Policy at the Russell Group, said:

“The UK’s world-class higher education sector needs proper funding to be sustainable. Any changes to the current funding system would need to be fair and affordable to students, while still meeting the needs of taxpayers and of universities, so that they can continue to invest in new facilities and provide students with the high-quality education they deserve.

“It is right that the Government continues to consider how the fees and funding system can be optimised. This report, which argues for the means-testing of fees and maintenance, is an important contribution to the ongoing debate. However, we should be mindful of the drawbacks of any system that depended on significant upfront funding from the Treasury given the many other demands on the public purse.

“Russell Group universities work hard to widen access to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and to support them to succeed once at university. Tuition fees should not be a barrier to access as they do not need to be paid upfront and graduates who go on to earn less may not need to repay their loans.”