Dons Give 9 Grand Fees Seal Of Approval

Cambridge University dons have voted to increase tuition fees to £9,000 per year.

Members of the University’s governing body, Regent House, voted in favour of the hike in fees by 1,387 votes to 416.

The result will be disappointing to many students who campaigned against the rise. Cambridge Defend Education were prominent in calling for academics to vote ‘non placet’ in the ballot.

The unsuccessful ‘Non Placet’ campaign

Commenting on the result, CUSU President Rahul Mansigani said: “Charging £9,000 will do huge damage to our attempts to attract students from the least advantaged backgrounds and will place a deeply unfair burden on all students.

“If Cambridge is to charge the maximum fee, then it has a moral obligation to commit substantially more money to widening participation and to bursaries than currently.”

Earlier this month, the University made an unexpected U-turn on their proposals to slash bursaries after pressure from students.

But Mansigani’s warning indicates he feels this is still not enough to offset the impact of £9,000 fees. The current proposed scheme allows students to take a £3,500 bursary as a fee waiver or cash sum, with students from the poorest backgrounds offered an extra fee waiver of up to £6,000.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz insisted that the new system would support disadvantaged students, saying: “The University of Cambridge is committed to recruiting the brightest and best students irrespective of their background.

“No UK students should be deterred from applying to the University of Cambridge because of financial considerations, and no students should have to leave because of financial difficulties.”

Despite his disappointment at the decision, CUSU President Mansigani said:  “We do not blame Cambridge for being forced to charge £9,000.

“The true issue is the government that has savagely cut the higher education budget, leaving Cambridge with the choice of either charging £9,000 or implementing massive cuts to our education.”

The decision comes amid anger across the Country at the Government’s public sector cuts. Yesterday, over a quarter of a million people, including many students, marched through the capital to protest against the cuts.

The proposal for £9,000 still has to be rubber-stamped by the Office For Fair Access (OFFA), but this is expected to be routine. If approved the fees would be implemented next year.