Fears for university standards as budgets squeezed

THE majority of the region's universities are facing cuts to their teaching budgets it was revealed today as Government moves to slash higher education funding started to become a reality.

New figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England show four Yorkshire universities have had their overall funding cut by more than 1m and seven institutions will have less money for teaching during the next academic year.

Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford and Huddersfield have all seen their teaching budgets and overall cash dropping. Only York and Hull are set to receive more money for teaching.

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Nationally the vast majority of universities have had cuts or an increase of below the rate of inflation, fuelling concerns that students could face larger class sizes, a drop in the quality of their education and increased competition for places.

More than half of England's 130 universities have received cuts in cash for 2010-11 but taking into account two per cent inflation, 99 universities are facing a cut, two will see their funding remain static, while 29 see an increase.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, warned the cuts would have serious consequences and accused the Government of "abandoning a generation".

University bosses in Yorkshire also warned that more serious cuts in funding were still to come in future years and that their budgets could be reduced further during 2010-11 if a new Government decided to carry out "in-year" cuts after the General Election.

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The higher education sector is braced for budgets to be slashed by up to a 1bn as Ministers attempt to bring down the nation's massive deficit.

Leeds University has seen the biggest cut in the region, of around 700,000, but a spokeswoman told the Yorkshire Post it could manage this.

She said: "Our biggest concern continues to be the prospect of further cuts for 2011 onwards as the next Government seeks to balance the nation's budget."

Leeds University is carrying out a major cost-cutting plan to save 35m by 2011 to cope with the expected drop in funding, which could see 400 jobs being lost.

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Bradford University will receive around 230,000 less from HEFCE in the next academic year.

Vice chancellor Prof Mark Cleary said: "The university has no plans at this stage to make any compulsory staff reductions. "We will be making savings through natural means, including non replacement of leavers and those retiring, voluntary redundancies, and by using more streamlined ways of working."

York University has seen the region's biggest increase in funding of 2.5 per cent which is thought to result from an increase in student numbers following the expansion of its Heslington East campus.

Nationally the overall grant is 7,356m – down by more than 573m on 2009/10. A HEFCE spokesman said this was partly down to 250m of capital funding being brought forward last year.

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However, Higher Education Minister David Lammy Minister insisted average cash funding for universities was going up by 0.4 per cent.

Although today's figures show four universities in the region will receive less money than last year, there has also been an overall 0.5 per cent increase in higher education funding for universities in Yorkshire to 630m. HEFCE funds teaching, research, innovation and capital projects.