UUK sets out blueprint for a sustainable sector future

Universities UK (UUK) has called for an increase in funding and greater recognition of the positive impact universities have on society in a report published this week.

Its ‘Opportunity, growth and partnership’ blueprint report sets out an approach for the higher education sector to work with the Government to bring about change that makes universities more sustainable in the face of financial pressures affecting the whole sector, bringing benefits to the whole UK economy.

UUK represents all universities in the United Kingdom, acting as an advocate for the needs and values of the sector.

What’s in the report?

In its report, UUK lays out changes to make the country’s universities better in a decade’s time than they are today, through better collaborations between universities and the higher education sector, the Government and the public and private sector.

It makes three key requests to put universities in a better position to achieve this:

1. Financial support through allowing tuition fees to rise with inflation over the coming years and restoring the teaching grant, to address widespread financial sustainability challenges facing all universities.
2. Better regulation including redefining the role of the Office for Students.
3. Improved assessment to more accurately measure the social and economic benefits provided by universities.

These changes, it says, would allow universities to help bring about five ‘shifts’:

1. Expand opportunity by supporting people of all backgrounds to access higher education and achieve good outcomes, with a target of 70% participation in higher education by 25-year-olds by 2040.
2. Improved sector collaboration to support students to progress through their studies, study flexibly and develop skills throughout their lives.
3. Generate local growth through better working relationships between universities and businesses, the public sector and the NHS to meet skills needs.
4. Strengthen research by stabilising funding, reducing the cost burden on universities and supporting the commercialisation of research.
5. Establishing a global strategy, for universities, developed by the Government, to enhance their impact and reputation, and joint efforts to sensibly increase international student numbers.

Learn more about what the blueprint proposals would mean for Reading at this month’s all-staff talk on 17 October at 14:00.

Tuition fees

Prior to the formal release of the blueprint, news reports over the weekend suggested that the UK Secretary of State for Education may be considering proposals to raise the cap on university tuition fees, allowing them to rise in line with inflation over the next few years.

The reports made clear that an increase if far from certain and a lot of discussion is yet to happen before the Government’s spending review in April 2025.

University fees have remained almost static for the last 12 years, while running costs have increased dramatically due to inflation. This means the value of tuition fees is effectively decreasing every year, so clearly any government support to address funding challenges would be welcome news for universities.

Even if a fees increase were approved, it would be unlikely to be implemented for a number of years and would not remove the need for savings measures currently being discussed to address our deficit.