UK higher education policy
New appointee Alyn Smith acknowledges ‘very sharp’ divide on student migration between Westminster and Holyrood
‘Engagement should not be confused with endorsement,’ says Malcolm Press after speaking on a panel alongside Suella Braverman
Education spokesperson vows to lift medical school numbers and ‘remove the rubbish from our university sector’ by defunding 20 per cent of degrees
‘False dichotomy’ between technical and higher education and waves of policy changes spook employers and threaten investment in system, sector leaders warn
As he prepares to retire, Arden vice-chancellor reflects on challenges running for-profit institutions
Regulator says it will adopt more collegiate attitude following High Court defeat
Minister tells peers OfS and others will closely examine findings of ‘independent’ probe
University told to show it can balance new commercial pressures with retaining its academic ethos to prove new model is ‘credible’
Estates teams already facing large backlog of maintenance issues will struggle to retrofit campuses to cope with rising temperatures, experts say
Former lawyer takes on brief in Scottish government amid wide-ranging review of university system
To avoid undermining policy priorities, significant decisions affecting universities and students must be centrally managed, says Rachel Hewitt
Elite universities’ growing selectivity fuels revival of back-up option, but no guarantees trend will continue
Paris-based higher education group eyeing more UK investment says it won’t rule out any category of institution
Sector’s worsening financial situation laid bare by new analysis conducted as part of wide-ranging review of university system
Long-delayed financial statement shows institution cut staff expenditure and brought in more grants to offset recruitment woes
Burnham government seen as more likely than Starmer to act on growing calls to relieve pressure on young graduates
Devolved powers can better integrate the post-16 system but England’s national architecture pulls in the other direction, say Nic Beech, Fran Darlington-Pollock and John Blake
Ben Macpherson leaves government after serving just three months in newly expanded role
Any concessions made by new prime minister likely to be fiercely opposed by universities fearful of losing millions of pounds in income
Campaign groups say regulator should expect influx of cases, but many academics are still not aware that the long-delayed complaints scheme is set to launch
Braverman targeting ‘lawful residents’ with plans to ‘ban foreign students’ from accessing loans, says UUK chief
Funder told to change its eligibility criteria described as a ‘de facto ban on supporting new organisations’
Rush to integrate artificial intelligence indiscriminately across the curriculum ignores the true purpose of higher education, say Jelena Belic and Kritika Maheshwari
Specialist provider shuts after losing grant support, with more than 200 students impacted
Vice-chancellor says university needs to look hard at how it handled allegations of bullying within Institute of Astronomy
Newly confirmed science minister’s markedly different background not necessarily a bad thing, research policy experts say
Expansion of cohorts lower than expected after higher-tariff institutions become more selective ‘at the last minute’
Court sides with government that students studying only on weekends are distance learners and should not have access to maintenance loans
Slow regulatory cycles, rigid graduate outcome measures and inflexible funding holding back specialist institutions, report claims
Country could miss goal of ensuring 18 per cent of new entrants come from most deprived backgrounds despite recent progress, report warns
Proposed approval regime would require partnerships to justify educational need and be subject to ‘enforceable limits’
Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Green politicians urge new chancellor to make system more ‘supportive of aspiration’
Charity tracking hate crimes says things improving for Jewish students but warns of ‘short institutional memories’
University of Bedfordshire’s new vice-chancellor warns financial instability and policy changes could jeopardise the progress made on supporting disabled students into higher education
Eagerly anticipated higher education review set to focus on student support funding, dismantling Seren and ‘bold reforms’, but recommendations must be ‘fiscally neutral’
University for the Creative Arts loses more than half its funding after support for creative subjects reduced to zero
Institutions increasingly grouping together locally in bid to make their voices heard but those behind the initiatives say incentives to collaborate still too weak
Lawyers acting for students blocked from UK universities contest supposed link between study visas and asylum claims
Study that shows girls being awarded higher predicted marks than boys raises concerns about whether they should be used to secure university offers
Schools to offer technical subjects and regional leaders to link education to local needs under new plans
Rise in compromised credentials increasing risk of damaging cyberattacks, UK IT body warns
Immigration officials question spike in admissions as new compliance rules force universities to take more cautious approach to international students
Labour announces Stockton North MP will fill role in newly merged department but officials say nothing has been decided
English universities still resisting introducing bans on relationships say they risk putting students in a more vulnerable position
Former Birkbeck leader handed role until 2028 after resignation of Wendy Thomson
Creating and then scrapping DSIT in the space of little more than three years wastes valuable time, but what really matters is the clout and aptitude of ministers
Burnham government appointments signal focus on youth unemployment and skills as universities are left ‘without a home’, according to policy analysts
With financial pressures intensifying and income sources drying up, new report argues for more differentiated sector to avert worst-case scenario
New tool allows prospective students to compare transport, food and accommodation costs in more than 100 cities and towns across the UK
Institutions could mothball buildings at less busy times of year to cut exorbitant energy costs, estate expert suggests
Ministers reject calls to legislate to clarify process for university going bust, despite admitting arrangements are unclear
Labour peer to continue in position amid Cabinet shake-up, working with new education secretary Lucy Powell
Balance in applications that existed before £9,000 fees has ‘completely disappeared’, according to new analysis
New ministers overwhelmingly attended Russell Group institutions, with only two non-graduates among number
Whitehall rearrangements are disruptive, but what matters more than departmental arrangements is the people in charge, says Nick Hillman
Manchester Central MP takes education brief as Jonathan Reynolds given business and science role
Loss of stand-alone Department for Science, Innovation and Technology risks research becoming ‘afterthought’ in governmental discussions, argue sector leaders
New UK prime minister urged to adopt more progressive stance, including lifting ‘harmful’ student visa restrictions
Degrees are not the place to turn to if we want to reduce the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, says Mark Morrin
If loan eligibility thresholds are to be designed in a way that protects vital second-chance routes into higher education, they might not be strong enough to achieve ministers’ aims; a more precise solution might be more appropriate, writes Chris Havergal
