An article in the Independent this week based on an interview with UUK President Steve Smith makes interesting reading. Whilst he calls for more of a market in HE by raising the fees cap, he stays well clear of any definition of what the upper figure might be. He also thinks that the Browne review will suggest something more radical than simply raising the cap to say £5,000, as in a few years the conversation will just be about whether it should be raised to £7,000, and so on. Should the cap be lifted completely, he doesn't believe the cost of attending university will get out of hand.
"I don't believe that there are a small number of elite universities who will charge what they like. The charge has to be internationally competitive, to maintain UK higher education's position in the world. I think universities should be allowed to charge differential fees because they're offering differing experiences". He also thinks that "higher education needs to be free at the point of delivery", and that "there needs to continue to be a link between the contribution a student makes and the institution they attend".
The article also highlights two 'nightmare scenarios'. Firstly that ministers will use recommendations in the Browne review for an increased student contribution as an excuse to cut public funding deeper. Secondly, that any recommendation that Browne makes will prove unpalatable for the government, leaving universities facing cuts and with no way of making up the difference. He's also worried about the 'five year gap' before funds return, - two years for any planned changes to be implemented and then a further three years for the new graduates to start paying.
Meanwhile, an academic in HE policy in the Netherlands has warned that many universities currently in favour of raising the tuition fee cap could actually see their income drop under the system. He claims that an increase in private providers, increasing international competition, and an end to widening participation will see demand drop, leaving less in-demand instutions having to undercut each other on price in order to survive.