OfS announcement on 2020-21 teaching grant budget

07 May 2020

Following confirmation from the OfS on how savings to the teaching grant for 2019/20 and 2020-21 will be implemented, Dr. Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said:

“While it is right that universities take steps to make savings and deliver the best value for every pound they spend, the reduction in the recurrent teaching grant will add to financial pressures on institutions already facing significant disruption caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

“The reduction in funding for high-cost subjects will make it harder to maintain a world class student experience, particularly in science, technology and engineering qualifications that already face average shortfalls of around £1,500 a year per student. Protecting and growing the UK skills base and expertise in these areas will be critical for the recovery from the crisis and for the future prosperity of the UK.

“As we look to the future, it is crucial that we maintain ambitious investment in high-cost, high-quality teaching provision in order to ensure institutions are able to offer places for the next generation of scientists and engineers, and guarantee academic excellence, choice and opportunities for all students.”

The Russell Group response to the OfS T-grant savings consultation can be found here.

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