UNITED KINGDOM

UK: Applicants in the dark over at-risk universities

Students are being left in the dark over seven at-risk universities that face closure. Those applying for courses have no way of knowing if their chosen destinations are on the Higher Education Funding Council for England's secret list of imperilled institutions, writes Kate Loveys for The Mail.

Experts last week called for the list to be published for the sake of prospective students, many of whom will face a lifetime of debt as the cap on tuition fees is raised to £9,000 (US$14,754).

The register is said to include London Metropolitan University, which has announced it is to axe two-thirds of its courses. As a result, students on some 400 courses, including trade union studies, performing arts and humanities, will be forced to change subjects or move to another university. The news has led to fears that the same fate could be suffered by the other six at-risk institutions. Three of these are believed to be the University of West London, the University of Cumbria and the University of Gloucestershire.
Full report on the Daily Mail site