Responding to today’s announcement of an increase in the annual tuition fee cap in England to £9,535 from April, along with a 3.1% increase in maintenance loans, Mark Hilton, Policy Delivery Director at BusinessLDN, said:
‘‘Today’s announcements mark welcome short-term measures to support our world class university sector, while at the same time helping students with an increase in maintenance loans. Universities have been facing huge and growing cost pressures in recent years, with a seven-year freeze to tuition fees, tighter restrictions on international student visas, and now a hike in employer national insurance contributions.
“The Government should follow-up today’s interventions with delivery of a long-term plan for UK higher education so it can continue to be a world leader in teaching and research.
“Crucial to such a strategy will be launching a full financial review of the sector, ensuring recent positive rhetoric around international students matches policy, and making good on today’s commitment to bring employers and universities together to deliver the skills our economy needs.”