Browne review: Universities must set their own tuition fees

Jeevan Vasagar & Jessica Shepherd:

Universities should be allowed to decide what they charge students under a radical shakeup of higher education which would see the existing cap on tuition fees lifted.

A new system of financing universities will allow for a 10% increase in student places to meet rising demand for a degree-level education, the Browne review proposes.

Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, said universities that charged the highest fees would have to demonstrate they are widening access to students from poorer homes.

"There are a variety of things they can do in that area, including offering scholarships for living expenses," he told the Guardian.

Graduates will start repaying the cost of their degrees when they start earning £21,000 a year, up from £15,000 under the current system, the review recommends.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at October 17, 2010 2:03 AM
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