Universities ‘could be operating an unofficial cartel’ over tuition
fees, says Unite
5 April 2011
Unite is asking the Commons Business, Innovation and Skills
Select Committee to investigate tuition fee rates once all the
universities had fixed them for the academic year 2012/13. Unite’s
national officer for higher education, Mike Robinson told MPs on
the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee today (Tuesday, 5
April): ‘We are asking the BIS Select Committee to re-examine
tuition rates at a later stage when all universities have fixed
their fees.
‘If there has been any collusion between the universities to
charge the maximum of £9,000 that would be for the Office of Fair
Trading to investigate.’
‘Every university, bar one, that has declared so far, has gone
for the maximum £9,000 annual student fee rate – except Leeds
Metropolitan from the Million + group of newer universities which
last week said it would charge £8,500.’
‘This is despite the government’s claim that only be ‘top end’
institutions would charge the highest fees. The fee increases are a
runaway train, with an enormous financial crash at the end, that
the public purse will have to pick up.’
‘We are hoping there is no collusion between universities to all
charge the highest rate, but it has become a status symbol for vice
chancellors, greedy to maintain income and, of course, their own
salary levels.’
‘The tuition fee increases will leave a legacy of debt for many
bright graduates well into their 50’s and blight their prospects of
getting on to the property market, as the debt will count towards
solvency levels.’
‘Messing with fees and university funding could cost us dear in
both international reputation of UK universities and foreign
students who we hope to attract. The brightest and best, however,
may choose to go to USA, Canada, France, Switzerland or even the
new emerging universities in India or China.’
Lord Dearing, a well respected academic, investigated student
fees in the 1990’s. He recommended a ‘compact’ between students,
the public purse and employers, all making a contribution to higher
education fees and costs, rather than the current proposal for
students to carry the greater part of the burden.
Universities in England will be able to charge tuition fees of
up to £9,000 per year from 2012, as the government transfers much
of the cost of courses from the state to students.
Fees will rise to a minimum of £6,000, with an upper tier of
£9,000 if universities ensure access for poorer students. The signs
are most will push for fees to be at the highest level.
-ends-
For further information, please contact Mike Robinson on 07768
931284 or Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315
