Students will pay full tuition fees for the next academic year even if universities have to teach courses online, the government has said.
Ministers have rejected universities’ calls for an extra £2.2bn in research funding to make up for an expected fall in money from overseas students. Instead, the government will offer an additional £100m for research and pay the £2.6bn for tuition fees upfront in the autumn, rather than spread across the year as usual.
The government will also restrict university admission numbers for the first time, capped at 105 per cent of institutions’ official targets for the year.
“We have already seen over the last few months courses being delivered online and virtually, and to an amazing quality,” said universities minister Michelle Donelan. “We don’t believe students will be entitled to reimbursements if the quality is there.”
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