Cheapest institutions 'to take more students'

Thousands of student places are being stripped from traditional universities and handed to former polytechnics and local colleges under government reforms, writes Graeme Paton for [s[The Telegraph.

Growing numbers of undergraduates will be taught at institutions offering the cheapest degree courses as part of coalition attempts to drive down student tuition fees, it was revealed last week. Some 20,000 places have been stripped from all higher education institutions in England and ‘auctioned off’ to those charging less than £7,500 (US$11,817) a year – well under the £9,000 maximum.

Figures show that new universities such as Anglia Ruskin, London Metropolitan, Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire and Birmingham City are among the biggest winners under the policy.

But more than half of the extra places have been awarded to further education colleges that often run degree-style courses at a fraction of the price of universities.
Full report on The Telegraph site