With increasing financial pressures, universities across the UK face tough choices.
While university tuition fees in England Wales may be increasing from £9,250 to £9,535 this year, this simply isn’t enough to cover rising costs and declining budgets. And this isn’t exclusive to these regions, for example, Queen’s University in Belfast ‘plans to cut up to 270 jobs‘. 1
Universities are making difficult decisions – from course to job cuts. Example stories highlighted in the BBC’s article on this topic include:
- Cardiff University planning to cut 400 jobs and some courses
- University of Kent planning to cut 58 jobs and “phase out” six subjects
- University of East Anglia proposing cuts to 170 full-time positions
- Durham University cutting about 200 professional services roles. 1
What is adding to the financial pressure?
Not only was there a freeze on student fees but VISA restrictions had a large role to play. Since January 2024, international student applications have dropped by around 16%, following the introduction of restrictions on international postgraduates coming to the UK bringing their partners and children. International students pay higher fees than UK students so this is a big financial hit for UK universities which has led to increased competition between establishments.
Read the full article on BBC News
References
- Hayley Clarke, BBC (2025) ‘My university course made me who I am – now it’s being cut’. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9e2xw9p8po (Accessed: 10/02/25)
