University funding and finances

New measures only offer temporary relief as state resources fail to keep pace with rising student numbers and increased costs, say leaders

Lincoln Bishop forms ‘strategic alliance’ with mega education group after finding its level of cash was not enough to cover low points during the year

In election year, Scotland’s higher education minister says fees policy non-negotiable, as newly formed review group looks for new models to heal nation’s ailing sector

Staff at Strathclyde and Durham vote to walk out in disputes over job losses and workloads, while Northumbria to be hit with disruption in row over pensions

Former first minister advocates for progressive taxes as way of funding higher education as debates ramp up over who should pay for university

Greenwich to change name to London and South East University Group before Kent joins as new ‘superuniversity’ takes shape

Fresh models of university outposts emerging in regions without access to higher education as financial crisis sees shuttering of traditional campuses

Finance minister outlines real-terms funding increase and new ‘university township’ model, but scholars remain sceptical

For-sale city-centre site not worth as much as thought, says university, after accounts reveal scale of financial challenge

The downturn in overseas student numbers shows the folly of relying on a small number of volatile markets, say George Pavlakos and Estelle Zinsstag

Most low-performing English students will not repay loans, argues campaigner, who says more needs to be done to educate people about system

Financially troubled institutions pushed further into the red, with Aberdeen, Robert Gordon and Sheffield Hallam also losing money

Rule changes seen as way of improving safety while avoiding billions of dollars being wasted on ‘unnecessary compliance costs’

Sheffield, Lancaster and Surrey confirm they are walking away from proposed three-year deal with world’s largest academic publisher

Regional Australian university joins nine others in establishing South Asian outpost, promising revenue will support New South Wales heartland

Scholars criticise ‘crude’ exercise as Middle Eastern country tops list of donors after US institutions forced to disclose foreign funds

Analyst predicts end to enrolment uncertainty despite pressure on South Asia, onshore demand and postgraduate programmes

Buyers remain keen on UK higher education despite financial turmoil – but bringing in private equity can create challenges for educators

Sharp increases in outlay in recent years along with changes to the English system put pressure on Wales to ensure student loans ‘remain sustainable’, says report

Institutions reliant on cross-subsidy model need to learn how to adapt to policy changes more quickly, says Universities UK chief

University claims staff are in breach of contract for failing to reorganise lectures lost during recent industrial action

Union leader says Southend campus closure will ‘take the heart out of the town’

Fee freezes bring down spend per student, as overall funding for education in England reaches historic lows

Some of president’s most audacious cuts have been scaled back or suspended but a year of turmoil is beginning to show in institutions’ bottom lines

Institutions forced to take matters into their own hands as high employer contributions ‘increase likelihood of university closure’

Analysis suggests much of the sector remains mired in financial difficulty with total losses increasing, but rise in income brings hope

MP calls for institution to take steps to restore trust as concerns mount over how it has been run

Analysis of UK sector accounts shows number of job losses well above predictions, with experts warning cuts are not over yet

University’s plan to cut more than 100 academic roles puts its reputation for inclusive education at risk, fears UCU

SNP announces ‘real terms’ funding uplift pre-election but universities say extra money not enough to combat financial challenges

Prospect of additional support being announced in last budget before polling day as review into higher education funding gets under way

Three-year degrees, international student levy, graduate contributions and role of colleges should all be considered by politicians if universities are to survive, says report

Many of the business schools that prop up universities, in both China and the West, are bankrolled by Chinese families’ ambition. But amid economic slowdown and a growing recognition of the limits of Western practices, the return on investment is now being questioned, as three academics explain

The number of UK universities reporting financial shortfalls for the past academic year continues to climb as some pay out millions in redundancy costs

Universities’ increasing reliance on visa applicants from within the country has so far failed to dent profitability

Incoming president pledges to slash government spending but remains quiet on other higher education issues

Some institutions have lost money after the government failed to cover scholarship costs, forcing them to decide whether to waive fees or lock students out

Increases to staff-student ratios could send university into a ‘death spiral’, says union leader as vice-chancellor insists institution must act now

Scottish National Party minister says financial challenges go ‘beyond party political boundaries’ as official talks set to begin

Lack of financial expertise at board level nearly toppled famed drama school, says leader who picked up the pieces

Newcastle and Bradford also in the red as UK universities continue to publish their annual accounts

Former administration’s tuition fee reforms undermining Albanese government mission to promote equitable enrolments

Cambridge, Queen’s University Belfast and Leicester record shortfalls for the second year in a row as latest accounts highlight sector-wide financial challenges

Charging interest on loans already repaid would be illegal in other sectors, senator highlights

Institutions that charge moderate fees and can’t pass costs on to students likely to be greatest victims of new tax, while some believe policy will help weed out lower-quality players

Holyrood politicians must look at size and shape of tertiary sector, and consider closer research ties with rest of UK, says Anton Muscatelli

Universities face estimated costs of £166.8 million in loss and damage from effects of changing climate, landmark study concludes

First major foray abroad for one of Australia’s top-ranked universities since Singaporean venture closed after just a semester

Institutions say impact of recruitment changes behind difficult financial picture but predict stronger numbers in future

Institution agrees to pay undisclosed sum after cutting unique master’s programme amid review of provision

Regulator announces it is probing governance arrangements at under-pressure institution

Low value of support on offer not enough to move the dial on university access, critics fear

Dark tales abound of various UK universities being at risk of breaching agreements with their banks. But what exactly are covenants? Why have they come to play such a prominent role in the conversation about sector health? And would breaking one really lead to institutional ruin? Helen Packer reports  

Limits of current model mean trying something different can be challenging, according to Cara Aitchison, as government discussions start on future university funding

Reprieve for decades-old institution reflects outpouring of community concern and improvement in university’s financial position

Jobs and achievement the new mantra in a ‘refocus on what matters most’ in the tertiary system

Australia’s new higher education steward may lack the power to overhaul widely opposed system of university fees and subsidies

ANZ universities notch ‘major’ new agreements with big publishers, but negotiations with the biggest break down over price concerns

Academics claim changes made to higher education system a decade ago have divided sector into ‘winners and losers’, with government-imposed limits on income exacerbating financial challenges

University told to come up with a plan for financial recovery before it enforces more job losses