Relief greets news of 'better than expected' university budget

By Lucy Ward. Universities warn that while access and high-cost courses have been made a priority, they are not completely protected. Universities are bracing themselves for significant cuts to teaching budgets totalling around £160m next year, while welcoming efforts to shield poorer students and high-cost courses from the worst of the cutbacks. The delayed announcement of the cash available for higher education in 2014-15 and beyond represents a less bleak picture than many in the sector had feared, amid rumours last month of £200m cuts including the axing of the Student Opportunity Allocation, a fund supporting widening participation. More...