TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION: English university funding ‘up in the air’ as review looms

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Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at the University of Manchester, said the politics of student finance had made a review “inevitable”. But it seemed No 10 had “some very clear objectives” from it, which included “price differentiation, price objective, price competition and a big theme on value for money and cross subsidy”.

There was also a risk that Theresa May’s waning popularity could render it subject to “political forces”, he added. “That could mean that the policy asks of the review change as its task masters change,” he said.

Following reports that universities' fee caps could be linked to their graduate earnings, Professor Westwood said this was a “utilitarian” approach to funding that was at odds with the priorities of the industrial strategy, which ministers hope can address regional differences in productivity and growth.