More funds for more students next year

Universities and colleges will get about Pounds 0 million more in funding next year but will be expected to take on more students.

Final grant figures for next year reveal that the Higher Education Funding Council for England has raised total funding from Pounds 3.57 billion in 1998-99 to Pounds 3.84 billion in 1999-2000, a real-terms cut of about 1 per cent.

Teaching funding will rise from Pounds 2.72 billion to Pounds 2.92 billion in 1999-2000. That includes Pounds 94.6 million for more student places and Pounds 19.9 million for recruiting students from disadvantaged backgrounds. But universities will be expected to provide for 852,220 full-time students, including the transfer of students from further education. This compares with 743,152 full-time students last year.

The research cash total of Pounds 855 million includes Pounds 835 million for research based on quality as determined by the research assessment exercise and Pounds 19.9 million for generic research. Last year, universities received a total of Pounds 829 million for research.