"And now for my next trick..." Mandleson makes your degree course vanish.

7.46.08pm GMT Fri 5th Mar 2010

New targets lead to University cuts

Thanks to Labour's obsession with targets, and the mess they have made of public finances, good degree courses may be closed so that Universities are not fined. Sounds crazy, but this is what could happen according to Paul Zukowskyj, prospective Lib Dem MP for Welwyn Hatfield.

The situation is this: there are 100,000 more University applicants this year than last, yet the number of places is likely to be lower, thanks to the government's massive cuts in funding. On top of this, the government gives targets to Universities on how many students they can recruit. Go under or over, and the University gets fined. Millions of pounds of fines.

And because some Universities recruited too many students last year, they must LOWER the number of places available this year. Even though there are more applicants. Tens of thousands of applicants will find themselves with nowhere to go, maybe even 150,000.

The Universities had already made their offers, before the cuts were announced. So what can the Universities do?

The rules mean that if a course runs, students who get the grades set at A level have to be accepted. If the course closes, however, they DO NOT have to be accepted. Universities could keep to their targets by cutting viable, popular courses, and casting all their applicants for those courses adrift. Even students with A's across the board could find themselves with no place to go.

Paul Zukowskyj commented " Instead of investing in the future of our country by investing in young people, New Labour have abandoned them, just as the Thatcher government abandoned a generation in the early 80's. The Conservatives are also refusing to remove the cap and would like to ensure some courses currently running are closed. Only the Lib Dems recognise that the best way to help this country back to its feet is to invest in its young people and ensure we have a well educated workforce able to compete with the rest of the world."

ENDS

Notes for editors:

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) gives targets to Universities on how many students they can recruit. Go under or over, and the University gets fined. HEFCE count the numbers based on how many students there are in total, so because some Universities recruited too many students last year, they must LOWER the number of places available this year, even though there are more applicants. Tens of thousands of applicants will find themselves with nowhere to go, maybe in excess of 150,000 nationally.

Universities and Colleges Admissions System (UCAS) rules mean if a course runs, people who have been offered a place should they achieve certain results have to be accepted. If the course closes, however, they DO NOT have to be accepted. In the past, where a course was closed, most Universities offered those applicants affected an alternative course, but given the closures may be prompted by over-recruitment, Universities are unlikely to offer suitable replacements. Applicants without a place would have to rely on clearing to find a place, and many Universities expect to be closed to new applicants for clearing this year.