Across the UK, universities may soon be forced to reduce the number of UK students they accept, increase class sizes and cut staff, warn vice-chancellors.

According to the Russell Group of universities, institutions are losing £1,750 per year teaching each home student, as tuition fees have remained almost unchanged for nearly a decade and have not kept up with inflation. By 2024, universities will be losing an average of £4,000 a year on every UK undergraduate student.

In 2012, the government increased the cap on tuition fees to £9,000 a year causing nationwide protests - it has been set at £9,250 since 2017. Ministers have confirmed that fees will remain frozen until at least the[hidden]academic year. However, universities are saying the current funding system is “just not working.”

By September this year, the current £9,250 tuition fee will only be worth about £6,350 in 2012 prices, according to experts. However, wage growth in the UK also continues to lag inflation. Universities across the country are calling for the government to intervene to help this crisis.

Many universities are already increasing the number of international and postgraduate students, as their fees are not capped by the government. Mark Corver, the co-founder of dataHE, a consultancy that advises universities on their admissions, says some universities may end up “more or less” pulling out of teaching UK students.

“This year’s school leavers have got the strongest GCSEs of any cohort ever, so they are going to be expecting to go to the sort of university that those high grades would usually suggest,” said Corver. “But it’s just not clear that the supply of places will be there.”

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