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Select Committee · Education Committee

Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Students

Status: Open Opened: 12 Jun 2025 36 recommendations 25 conclusions 1 report

The UK’s higher education sector is in trouble. Dozens of universities are making redundancies and cuts to courses, trying to stay afloat amid uncertainty over where their money is coming from. The Education Committee will look under the bonnet at what is going on. In a focused single evidence session on 8 April, the Committee … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
9th Report - Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolv… HC 807 12 May 2026 61 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
13 Recommendation 9th Report - Higher Education and Fundi… Deferred

The Office for Students should therefore provide guidance to universities seeking to exit or significantly...

The Office for Students should therefore provide guidance to universities seeking to exit or significantly scale back franchising relationships. (Recommendation, Paragraph 93)

Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts the principle that providers need clear expectations but redirects the responsibility for providing specific guidance to universities on exiting or scaling back franchising relationships to the independent Office for Students.
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Department for Education
41 Recommendation 9th Report - Higher Education and Fundi… Deferred

The financial pressures on the higher education sector have driven the sector’s reliance on international...

The financial pressures on the higher education sector have driven the sector’s reliance on international students. This reliance has been directly driven by decisions of the Government. Immigration policies have a very significant effect on the higher education sector, and the Government must consider the consequences of its decisions in … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government does not commit to setting out how it will support higher education institutions if international student numbers decline, instead stating that providers are responsible for managing their own financial health.
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Department for Education
50 Recommendation 9th Report - Higher Education and Fundi… Deferred

In its response to this report the Government should publish its impact assessment of association...

In its response to this report the Government should publish its impact assessment of association with the Erasmus+ programme and support higher education providers in maximising the benefits of our association. (Recommendation, Paragraph 250)

Government response AI summary
The government stated that the UK will join Erasmus+ from 2027 and will continue to assess its participation at a sector level as data becomes available. A review of the UK's participation by the UK-EU Specialised Committee is expected to be published in early 2028, …
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Department for Education
61 Recommendation 9th Report - Higher Education and Fundi… Deferred

In its response to this report, the Government should clarify how much it anticipates it...

In its response to this report, the Government should clarify how much it anticipates it will spend on maintenance grants in 2028–29 and 2029–30 (as the Budget 2025 documents were ambiguous), the rationale for the different subjects that could be eligible, and how the grant will operate alongside maintenance loans … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government clarified the grants will be funded by the international student levy and that information on their interaction with other funding is published. However, specific spending amounts will be set out in the next Spending Review, and eligible subjects confirmed closer to 2028/29.
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
25 Nov 2025 Patrick Curry · Department for Education, Susan Lapworth · Office for Students, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Smith of Malvern · The Department for Education View ↗
21 Oct 2025 Adam Leach · Civic University Network, Carol Prokopyszyn · British Universities Finance Directors Group, Dr David Pilsbury · International Higher Education Commission, Mr Neil Smyth · Mills and Reeve LLP, Mrs Dani Payne · Social Market Foundation, Professor Brian Bell · Migration Advisory Committee, Rachel MacSween · IDP Education UK and Ireland, Vivienne Stern MBE · Universities UK View ↗
8 Apr 2025 Alex Stanley · National Union of Students, Andrew Bird · British Universities' International Liaison Association, Dr Hollie Chandler · The Russell Group, Jo Grady · University College Union (UCU), Mr Raj Jethwa · Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), Professor Dame Jessica Corner · UK Research and Innovation, Professor Malcolm Press CBE · Universities UK, Rachel Hewitt · MillionPlus, The Association for Modern Universities, Sir Philip Augar · Post-18 Education and Funding Review View ↗

Who gave evidence

20 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Adam Leach · National Civic Impact Director Civic University Network 1
Alex Stanley · Vice-President of Higher Education National Union of Students 1
Andrew Bird · Chair British Universities' International Liaison Association 1
Carol Prokopyszyn · Chief Financial Officer, University of Manchester British Universities Finance Directors Group 1
Dr David Pilsbury · Secretary International Higher Education Commission 1
Dr Hollie Chandler · Director of Policy The Russell Group 1
Jo Grady · General Secretary University College Union (UCU) 1
Mr Neil Smyth · Partner Mills and Reeve LLP 1
Mr Raj Jethwa · Chief Executive Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) 1
Mrs Dani Payne · Head of Education and Social Mobility Social Market Foundation 1
Patrick Curry · Director for Higher Education Oversight Department for Education 1
Professor Brian Bell · Chair Migration Advisory Committee 1
Professor Dame Jessica Corner · Executive Chair, Research England UK Research and Innovation 1
Professor Malcolm Press CBE · Vice President (England and Northern Ireland) Universities UK 1
Rachel Hewitt · Chief Executive MillionPlus, The Association for Modern Universities 1
Rachel MacSween · Director of Client Partnerships and Stakeholder E… IDP Education UK and Ireland 1
Sir Philip Augar · Chair of the 2019 Independent Panel Post-18 Education and Funding Review 1
Susan Lapworth · Chief Executive Office for Students 1
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Smith of Malvern · Minister of State (Minister for Skills) The Department for Education 1
Vivienne Stern MBE · Chief Executive Universities UK 1

Correspondence

11 letters
DateDirectionTitle
14 Apr 2026 To cttee Joint letter from UCEA and UUK on Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insol…
24 Mar 2026 — Correspondence with HM Treasury on Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Inso…
13 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from Minister for Skills on Higher Education and Funding, dated 19.12.25
9 Dec 2025 From cttee Letter to Minister for Skills on Higher Education and Funding dated 09.12.25
3 Jun 2025 To cttee Letter from NUS on follow up evidence from Higher Education and Funding: Threat…
3 Jun 2025 To cttee Letter from Professor Malcolm Press CBE on Higher Education and Funding: Threat…
20 May 2025 To cttee Letter from Secretary of State on Higher Education 14.05.25
7 May 2025 From cttee Letter to Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education on Hig…
6 May 2025 To cttee Letter from Provost, The University of Edinburgh on Higher Education 25.04.25
29 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from BUILA on Higher Education dated 23.04.25
23 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from the Russell Group of Universities on Higher Education and Funding d…