million+ comment on Pre-Budget Report
Responding to the Chancellor’s announcement that 10,000 undergraduates from poorer backgrounds will receive financial help to pursue short-term internships in industry, business and the professions, Professor Les Ebdon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire and Chair of the university think-tank million+ said: “I warmly welcome the funding of internships for undergraduates from poorer backgrounds but the failure to provide an Obama style stimulus to higher education or to protect universities on the same basis as schools means that there is a real risk that there will be another shortfall in places for those wanting to go to university in 2010.
“Together with the cuts already announced, the £600m reduction in higher education expenditure that has to be delivered by 2012 means that universities, students and the science base will have lost nearer £800m in 3 years. We all recognise that these are difficult times but cuts of this order will be challenging to achieve. The Government must ensure that the most disadvantaged students are not penalised and that all those who are qualified can still go to university. Ministers must not use these reductions as an excuse to silo university activity. It will remain crucially important that excellent world-leading research continues to be funded in all universities. There is also no case to use contestability to distribute funding but every reason for the core teaching and research activities of all universities to be protected.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education. www.millionplus.ac.uk
- The £600million reduction in higher education expenditure by 2012 is set out in the full Pre-Budget Report: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr09_chapter6.pdf
- For more information, comment or interviews please contact Victoria Mills on 0207 7171655 or 07900 277819