The amount that English universities supplement the cost of undergraduate students will double by the end of the decade without government policy changes, according to a new report.
The Russell Group, which produced the study, warned that the sector will have to make “difficult and unwelcome decisions” if a more sustainable approach to funding is not adopted.
It said that educating the “skilled workforce of the future” and producing word-class research was becoming increasingly difficult because costs are not being met by funding from tuition fees and government grants.
Researchers from the group of elite institutions estimate that English universities supplemented the cost of undergraduate education by an average of £2,500 per student per year in 2022-23.
