Universities in the UK have had their plea for a multimillion pound bailout rejected by the UK government.
Despite not receiving what they have requested, universities in the UK have been told they will receive full tuition fees, despite many students asking for a change up, amounting to £2.6bn.
Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan, said:
We have already seen, over the last few months, courses being delivered online and virtually to an amazing degree of quality, and I know the efforts made across the sector to facilitate that… We’ve always said that we don’t believe students would be entitled to reimbursement for tuition fees if the quality is there.
A cap has also been placed on the number of UK and EU students that universities are able to take on as part of the new student cohort. However, Donelan has acknowledged the need for more action:
This is a fast-moving situation … should providers require further support, the government will continue to review their financial circumstances and assess the need for structured transformation and any attached conditions.
Ex-Conservative Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, said that despite the £2.6bn incoming in tuition fees, there is so economic uncertainty:
[It] ultimately does not account for potential huge loss of income due to the reduction in international students. This black hole needs to be filled as this is creating the ripple effect across the sector.
With many students feeling the coronavirus outbreak will hinder their chances of getting into university or dramatically alter their experience, there could be an inevitable loss in tuition fees despite these measures.
