Research money could be swiped if fees are cut, think tank warns

Slashing student fees in England risks diverting research money into subsidising teaching, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank has warned.

Tuition fees for students could be cut to £6,500 for many subjects but fees for some science and technology courses could rise to £13,500, according to media reports about leaked draft recommendations from the government’s review into post-18 education led by Philip Augar.

When asked about the proposed cuts to standard tuition fees, a spokesman for the Department for Education told Research Fortnight it was “important that we don’t pre-empt the outcomes of the review”.