The UK higher education sector has concluded that an insurance scheme to guarantee international students a fees refund or alternative places should their course or university close down is 鈥渆ssential鈥.
Selective universities could be granted extra student numbers to allow them to admit disadvantaged applicants with potential but without the highest grades.
Theresa May, the home secretary, has been accused by a vice-chancellor of acting 鈥渓ike a Dalek鈥 and of 鈥渃asting a dark cloud over British higher education鈥 in her refusal to change course on student visas.
Taxpayer-backed funding for students at private colleges rose by 138 per cent to 拢100 million last year, with a private equity-owned institution that did not meet all quality standards accounting for more than a fifth of that total.
A Tory MP has warned that there is opposition on his party鈥檚 front bench to Les Ebdon, following criticism of his comments on the 鈥渟nobbery鈥 surrounding university education.
