Explainer-in-brief: A new kind of University challenge over fees
Last week, British students got their A-levels results. But they barely had time to celebrate before they were thrown into a quarrel over university tuition fees over the weekend.
Some university bosses are calling for an increase in the fees that British students pay, arguing that as things currently stand it makes more sense for British universities to accept overseas students than domestic students. The university fee has been frozen for ten years at £9,250 per year, while overseas students pay around £24,000.
One in five undergraduates starting this autumn at top universities will be from overseas, and some are worrying that British students will simply be priced out. On average, students already graduate with loan debts of up to £50,000.
An increase in tuition fees would inevitably impact disadvantaged students more, creating a further barrier to entry.