Government may return to fee-cut plans, think tank says

Reports that the government is set to ditch plans to cut tuition fees in England from £9,250 to £7,500 a year do not necessarily spell the end for the recommendations proposed in the Augar review, a think tank has said.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, tuition fees of £7,500, as recommended by Philip Augar’s committee, have now been deemed politically unattainable in this parliament, given that the current government has no majority to pass the new legislation required to facilitate such a change.

Other aspects of Augar’s review could still be implemented. In his recent letter to the Office for Students, education secretary Gavin Williamson spoke of the importance of part-time courses and fast-track two-year degrees—both of which were lauded in Augar’s report.