Tuition income rises by a third, outpacing staff pay

The tuition fee income that United Kingdom universities receive from students has grown by a third over the past five years as institutions have expanded rapidly, although spending on lecturers and other staff has not kept pace, writes Rachel Hall for The Guardian.

Universities received £21.5 billion (US$30 billion) in student fees in 2019-20, more than a third more than the £15.5 billion they got in 2014-15. Spending on staff salaries has grown more slowly, with a 10% rise over the past two years compared with a 13% increase in student fees.

Jo Grady, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “The university sector is performing strongly, and this is down to the efforts of staff who work tirelessly to provide students with the best possible education … But staff will rightly be sickened to see that the significant financial growth universities have enjoyed has not been shared with them, with spending on staff being held down whilst some vice-chancellors are adding tens of thousands [of pounds] to their already eye-watering pay packets.”
Full report on The Guardian site