Nick Clegg says he is ‘uneasy’ about unlimited tuition fees
Ministers appear to have ruled out allowing universities to set unlimited tuition fees in England.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the government was still considering its response to the Browne Report, which recommended unlimited fees.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show he was “uneasy” about it and, when pressed about whether fees would be capped, he said: “Correct”.
He said ministers were “looking at something more restrained”.
Universities minister David Willetts and Business Secretary Vince Cable have made similar comments.
The review by Lord Browne recommended universities in England be free to set their own fees but face a levy on sums above £7,000.
Ministers have stressed that no decision has been made but say proposals to raise fee levels would be put before MPs by Christmas.
Speaking last week at a higher education conference, Mr Willetts has said there were some “very difficult issues” around the proposed fee cap and levy.
Lord Browne proposed that if universities wanted to charge fees of above £7,000, they would face a levy (payment to the government) – which would go towards the cost of lending the money to students.
This would rise with each extra thousand pounds the university wanted to charge.
But Mr Willetts said the idea had “aroused quite a lot of concern across the sector”, and said it could cause universities to drive their fees up higher to reach a given level of income.
He said the government recognised there were arguments for a lower levy or for “sticking with a fee cap”.
He also floated the idea of a two-tier fee cap.
Speaking later in response to reporters’ questions, he said: “I don’t think it’s sensible or sustainable to imagine having an unlimited fee cap.”
Last week Business Secretary Vince Cable, a Liberal Democrat, said he was considering a £7,000 fees cap.
Currently students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are charged a maximum of £3,290 in fees per year.
The government pays the money up front, and the student then pays it back once their income reaches £15,000 after graduating.
University courses in Scotland are free to Scottish students, although there is increasing pressure for some form of graduate contribution.
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