University funding/finances

Institutions must fulfil their historic mission of developing student potential, says former vice-chancellor

Smaller institutions unlikely to benefit from revised low-cost lending terms

Willetts aims to fill ‘black hole’ left by failure of higher education bill

The European Commission has announced plans to invest €22 billion (£19 billion) in public-private research and innovation projects over the next seven years.

The £1.1 billion annual investment in science capital announced in last month’s spending round is the biggest “for decades” and must not be wasted.

More than 19,000 extra students have applied to university this year compared to 2012, new figures show.

The University of Manchester has become the latest university to launch a bond issue to raise money for capital investments.

Council gives go-ahead to consider using bond to fill gap left by public funding cuts

Andy Westwood on the shift from ‘human’ to ‘intellectual’ capital

Offa chief: £150m committed by universities now part of access agreements

The Cardiff government’s policy of subsidising Welsh student fees when they study elsewhere in the UK has been attacked by the Welsh Conservatives, who say it is siphoning money to English universities.

The European Union’s next research and innovation funding programme, known as Horizon 2020, looks set to begin on schedule next year

Announcement comes as new details emerge about increased science capital budget

US-style charges await in unregulated system, education expert warns

Universities need clear protocols for accepting money - particularly from outside the UK, argues Chris Higgins

Protection for science and research spending will be maintained in 2015-16 while the capital budget will be increased to £1.1 billion, the chancellor George Osborne announced today.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has predicted that the new higher education funding regime will harm the creditworthiness of some UK universities, widening the gap between the “strongest and weakest”.

The US has reclaimed its position as the biggest spender on higher education, as rising fees pushed it clear in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s annual figures.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has reached a settlement with the Treasury in negotiations over the 2015-16 spending review, reports suggest

Sources say switch of medical education and research budgets to Department of Health increasingly unlikely

Martin McQuillan warns of a possible Manhattan Project for the sector

Universities deciding mechanisms to apportion RCUK cash

Cuts to widening participation funds anticipated to meet spending review targets

Vince Cable, the business secretary, says he has “ruled out categorically” any rise in interest rates for graduates who took out student loans before 2012, while stressing that plans for a sale of student loans are ongoing

The government should urgently clarify its plans for the sale of the student loan book and reassure existing graduates that their repayments will not be raised, according to Labour’s shadow higher education minister.

Just four European countries spend less as a proportion of national income

IPPR report offers stark warning over £6,000 plans

Ministers should extend student loans to many more part-time students to remedy a “crisis” in recruitment, a thinktank commission is set to recommend

Parallel sectors would overcome problems of ‘one-size-fits-all’ funding, group argues

Despite loss of teaching grant, universities must still comply with enrolment targets

Minister and BIS take close interest in study with enormous policy implications

Groups of universities could raise funding for postgraduate student loans by issuing bonds, a report by the thinktank CentreForum has suggested.

Moving medical education and research funding to the Department of Health would “pose a significant threat to the UK’s leading position” in the fields, medical schools have warned George Osborne.

Russell Group’s latest members have agreed to stump up £500,000 each

Stay-at-home students who attend a local university should be eligible for cut-price tuition fees of £5,000 a year, according to an influential commission of higher education experts

Lowering tuition fees to £6,000 – a policy put forward by Labour - could cost the Treasury the same as the current £9,000 set-up, a study has claimed.

Treatment to avoid cuts would do more harm than good, critics say

Alastair Bonnett visits Lincoln’s Social Science Centre, a cooperative, free university attempting to build a different kind of knowledge economy

Less than 10 years since their introduction, tuition fees will soon disappear from the country. Frances Mechan-Schmidt reports

Nation likely to lose fruitful position in UK research system, experts say

Full disclosure could break competition law, conference hears

Institutions consider projects to take advantage of VAT exemption

£9,000 limit poses threat to quality and income, conference hears

Universities minister David Willetts has defended the student finance system against criticisms that it is unsustainable and will not bring in the amount of money required to fund the sector long term.

Body defends science and social mobility funds from spending review

UK universities must form business partnerships to demonstrate the need for public investment. By Elizabeth Gibney

Sixteen UK higher education institutions are to benefit from a £50 million investment in research projects designed to drive economic growth, the universities and science minister has said.

The government’s innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board will see a £50 million boost to its budget this year, the government has announced.

V-c believes ‘radical solution’ is the way to rise up the rankings. John Morgan reports

Details have been released about proposals to allow universities in England to win more undergraduate places if they can show they are recruiting strongly.

Leader sought to guide Hefce through period of upheaval

Fossil Free urges universities to dump holdings in fuel companies

Universities are to benefit from a reduced administrative burden in supplying information about their costs, but government pressure to give more of such data to students has met with a cool response.

Existing legislation fails to cover Student Loans Company cash

The rest of the world thinks so, says Hefce funding chief

Geraldine Van Bueren says international law could help opponents of rising tuition costs in their battle

School pupils from poorer backgrounds could be contacted by the government to nudge them towards applying to university if they get good GCSE grades, David Willetts has said.

UUK chief looks to impact to save budget from Augean economy

Wales’ institutions gain funds as a result of cross-border flow under new fees regime

Gurminder Bhambra supports the students and staff contesting the hollowing-out of the University of Sussex’s collegial ideals