Written question WQ92692
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Education
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
How will the Cabinet Secretary address concerns about university funding raised by the chair of Universities Wales in December 2023 and discussed on ITV's Sharp End on 29 April 2024?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Education
The Welsh Government has raised the fee limit for full-time higher education courses in Wales to £9250, to reflect the increased cost of provision in universities.
Higher education funding in Wales compares favourably to other UK nations. According to London Economics research published earlier this year, higher education funding per full-time student in Wales is 18% higher than in Scotland and 22% higher than in Northern Ireland, and will be at a comparable level to England following the forthcoming increase in fees.
Other factors creating financial pressures for the higher education sector across the UK are outside of the Welsh Government’s control, including higher pay costs (agreed through UK-wide collective bargaining), increased pension costs, inflation, fluctuation in the international student market, and the failure of the UK Government to recompensate losses from EU funding.