Tuition fees and public image

When the increase in tuition fees was announced, the Government insisted that only a small number of elite universities would charge the full £9,000. True to form, the top nine universities (York is yet to announce its fees) went for the full whack.

However, with at least two universities in the bottom ten of the Guardian University Guide’s league table for 2011 also planning to charge the full amount – and several others nearing the same – what will “elite” mean in the brave new world of top-end tuition fees?

Last week Professor Graham Henderson, vice-chancellor of Teeside University, told the Northern Echo that setting the right level of fees was central to the image of the institution. He said: “A Teesside University degree is very valuable and we wanted to make sure our price was affordable and accessible to students.”

But affordability was not the only issue; rather than the usual explanation for higher fees of financial constraints imposed by the withdrawal of public funding, Professor Henderson talked instead about the role image played in making the decision: “There has been a lot of feedback against fees, but our students have been checking we are not charging the bottom of the spectrum because they don’t want it to be seen as second rate.”

“Some universities may think they can buy reputation. I think reputation is earned steadily over the years.” Prof Ian Postlethwaite, Northumbria University

Indeed, the Times Higher Education Supplement’s “rough and ready” average of declared headline tuition fees currenty stands at £8,730.85 – that’s before the waivers for poorer students have been factored in. Most universities have gone for higher than the £6,000 minimum – and all those listed by the Times Higher Education Supplement so far have done so.

At the time of writing, only two on the THE list will ask for less than £7,000, and one of those is Birkbeck, in London, which offers part-time degree courses only. Only four on the list will ask for between £7,000 and £8,000, and ten will ask for between £8,000 and £9,000. The remaining 45 universities on the list plan to charge the full £9,000.

When asked whether image and public perception were important factors in making the decision on fees, Professor Ian Postlethwaite, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Northumbria University (which is also setting fees at £8,500, and is ranked 67th in the league table) told Channel 4 News: “We felt £8,500 was right for us. Some universities may think they can buy reputation. I think reputation is earned steadily over the years.”

Read how Northumbria went about setting its fees - Universities: 'High fees can't buy reputation'

As with all academic institutions, deciding on the right university for the right individual depends on many factors, which will not all be illuminated in league tables. The Universities Guide publishes an annual league table of universities.

Teesside is ranked 79th out of 118 universities in the league table, and with an entry requirement of 255 points (less than half required by Oxbridge), it sits in the bottom half of universities in terms of overall rating. It is opting for £8,500 fees. But what of the very bottom of the league table?

The “bottom” ten institutions (those which have been scored lowest on a combination of factors including student satisfaction, spend per student, and average entry tariff) are certainly not shying away from charging well above the £6,000 minimum.

Many such universities charging top fees have stated financial concerns as the reason for their decision. The University of East London, which ranks 117th out of 118, plans to charge £9,000. Vice-Chancellor Professor Patrick McGhee said: “This fee level reflects the degree of investment required to deliver the quality of teaching and facilities that our students expect and deserve, following the reduction in government teaching grant.”

Complex calculations

London South Bank University (ranked 114th) has also set fees at a high level (at £8,450) in order to break even. But the decisions involve complex calculations, as a spokesperson for the University of East London told Channel 4 News: “By charging £9,000, we can continue to invest in providing top-class facilities, and to keep improving. Our students deserve this high quality of provision.

“Many of our students are not seen as typical students – they are often mature students juggling university with other responsibilities, or from family backgrounds where university was not an option for their parents or grandparents. We do not believe these students deserve worse facilities than the students at other universities, and indeed they often need more help, which is why we will use the income from these fees to provide an even more generous package of bursaries and scholarships.”

A spokesperson for Universities UK, the representative organisation for the UK’s universities, told Channel 4 News: “Fee levels are set after a great deal of consideration and analysis/modelling and evidence based that is they are not figures plucked out of thin air. Universities have done their sums and decided what they need to charge to retain the quality education they provide – it is essential that they are sustainable in going forward.”