Universities face real terms cuts after funding announcement

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has announced an overall 6.4% cash increase in funding in 2007- 2008 compared with 2006-07. However, the union says that 25 higher education institutions will still be hit with a real terms reduction in HEFCE funding and many more would have been hit with a reduction if they had not recruited extra students.

UCU joint general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The overall increase for institutions from HEFCE is to be welcomed, as is the funding increase per student in line with inflation. However, these figures need to be put in context. Around a fifth of institutions will be hit with a real terms cut in HEFCE funding, which is just not acceptable.

'Universities that have succeeded in recruiting extra students may have seen their funding increase, but university staff will need far greater resources if they are to really tackle issues such as the student:staff ratio, which is now higher than in our schools.'