Universities that fail to widen access face large fines

The Office for Fair Access (Offa) published a report yesterday setting out what universities need to do to be allowed to charge more than £6,000 a year in fees.

MPs voted last year to almost treble the cap on tuition fees from 2012 amid widespread student protest. However, Offa has warned that universities which plan to charge fees of £9,000 will be expected to more than double the amount they spend on recruiting disadvantaged students and helping them to stay.

Institutions that want to charge the maximum amount allowed will have to spend around £900 on widening access for every tuition fee they receive compared with the £400 that is currently spent.

Every university planning to charge students more than £6,000 in fees from next year has to agree how it plans to ensure students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not priced out.

These agreements will be reviewed each year, with institutions that fail to meet their agreed targets on recruitment and retention facing fines and losing the right to charge more than £6,000.

Universities have to submit their access arrangement plans along with how much they want to charge in fees, at the end of this month. Offa will then make a decision on each university’s plans this summer.

Offa director Sir Martin Harris said: “It is true that much progress has already been made in widening participation to the sector as a whole.

“Over the last five years alone the chances of a young person from the lowest participation neighbourhood going to university has increased by 30 per cent.

“But progress in improving access to the most selective universities has remained virtually flat.

“We will have the highest expectations of institutions who have the furthest to go in achieving a representative student body and who want to charge fees towards the top end.”

Universities must set their own targets for how many students from disadvantaged backgrounds are applying to start a course, how many actually start courses and how many finish their degrees.

Offa warns that universities that commit “a serious and wilful breach” of their access agreement will face sanctions, including having up to £500,000 of their grant withheld, either temporarily or as a fine.