Academics oppose top-up fees

Lecturers show the greatest opposition

Three-quarters of university academics oppose top-up fees for students, a survey suggests.

With higher fees now almost certain to be included in government proposals for higher education in England, the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) survey suggests widespread opposition.

The long-awaited and much-debated proposals are expected to be published finally later this month.

In broad terms it now seems clear that higher fees, to be repaid by way of a tax on graduate earnings, will be included.

Variable fees?

A report by The Guardian's chief political correspondent on Friday said fees could be "up to £3,000" - presumably including the existing £1,100 contribution, although that is not spelled out.

There is a presumption that the government is going to allow different universities to charge different levels of fees.

As expected, it also suggests the announcement will see the return of some form of maintenance grant for poorer students.

The THES survey involved interviews with 414 academics, carried out by the Croydon Market Research Centre last month.

Three-quarters of lecturers and senior lecturers opposed higher fees, compared with 64% of professors and heads of department and 69% of researchers.

Types of university

But almost a quarter of the academics believed their own university should be allowed to charge higher fees. Two-thirds were against this.

Half thought it "quite likely" different fees for different university courses would be introduced within the next five years.

Apart from the issue of fees, it is also thought likely there will be a change to the status of universities, with a new division between traditional research-based universities and new "teaching universities".

Changes in the funding mechanisms could allow universities to be rewarded for the quality of their teaching rather than their research work.

And the government would like to see some universities focusing primarily on vocational subjects - which ministers see as the key to the expansion in student numbers that they are seeking.