University students in England could see some subjects’ tuition fees cut to £6,500
University tuition fees in England could be cut to £6,500 for humanities subjects under new proposals from Theresa May aimed at reforming higher education.
The current rate of £9,250 could be lowered to £6,500 for arts and humanities subjects while raising to £13,500 for courses such as science and medicine.
English with Media Studies third-year student Becky Longstaff, from the University of Portsmouth, said: “Ultimately, it’s unfair, because arts and humanities subjects, that can go into a wider range of jobs, will get under-funded.”
Subjects such as maths, engineering, medicine and some sciences that are more likely to end in higher earnings also cost more to teach. They require longer teaching hours, more specialised equipment and access to laboratories, making them more expensive for universities.
Third-year physics student Ali Vadden said: “I don’t like the idea — fewer people will want to go into science and there’s no guarantee that you’ll earn more money if you do.”
Students from the EU who currently pay the same £9,250 could face even higher fees under a new system that would charge them the same as international students.
These fees could cost up to £35,000 a year, depending on the university and the course.
