Universities

The website which confirms places for students at universities was shut down this morning, on A-level results day, as thousands scrambled for places. It has since recovered.

Students could leave university with average debts of more than £50,000 once higher tuition fees come into force, a new study finds.

The Student Loans Company took £22m last year from graduates who had already paid back their loan in full, Channel 4 News can reveal.

More than one-third of English universities have been given permission to charge fees of £9,000. Student leaders tell Channel 4 News the Government must be “honest and frank about the situation”.

As students face paying up to £9,000 a year for their undergraduate degrees, the Government sets out plans it hopes will ensure they get their money’s worth from university.

The Government has announced a major expansion of university places as part of reforms to encourage competition among universities and give students better value for money.

Underestimating the number of universities charging the maximum £9,000 per year tuition fees could result in a substantial funding shortfall, a Government spending watchdog has warned.

Channel 4 News maps the increasing price of university tuition fees amid changes to government funding. Use the slider to change the cost, navigate the map and click on the icons to find out more.

Michelle Obama takes school pupils to Oxford University to encourage them to aim high. But only just over 1 per cent of Oxford’s undergraduates are of black British origin, Channel 4 News learns.

The Government denies plans to let wealthy parents pay higher fees to secure their children a place at university, insisting that access must be based on “ability to learn, not ability to pay”.

As the Government is accused of its fastest U-turn, the Prime Minister tells Channel 4 News that – despite “noises off” – the Coalition is still providing “strong and decisive” leadership for Britain.

Every English university has applied to charge at least £6,000 tuition fees, as Channel 4 News learns only eight staff will police whether they are also improving access to justify their charges.

Public image is a key consideration to aspiring universities. They tell Channel 4 News why tuition fees send a strong message about their relative position in the new market for higher education.

Will more students from lower-income backgrounds be able to attend top universities under the new funding plans, despite maximum fees of £9,000? Channel 4 News checks it out.