8:00am Monday 15th March 2010
FUNDING cuts which could mean Hampshire’s three universities losing millions of pounds will be revealed this week.
Unions are warning the cuts – by the Higher education Funding Council – could lead to job losses and a drop in services for more than 45,000 students.
The University of Southampton, Solent University and the University of Winchester were sent letters on Friday telling them how much their grants have been cut by – but the figures will not be made public until Thursday.
The HEFC announced in February that it would be cutting the amount it gives to universities and colleges this year by nearly 15 per cent. It could result in the universities losing out on up to £15m.
A spokesman for Solent University, which was last year given £37m – 42 per cent of its income – by the HEFC, said plans were in place to deal with the potential loss of funding.
He said: “We are facing challenging times, but the management team at Solent has anticipated this announcement and worked to ensure we enter this period of uncertainty in the best financial position.”
The University of Winchester last year received £12m from the HEFC, around 28 per cent of its turnover.
Vice chancellor Professor Joy Carter said: “While the cuts announced for the sector are severe and will undoubtedly affect investment plans, the university is reasonably well set to deal with them, having some reserves and returning annual surpluses in recent years of twice the national norm.
“We are therefore not currently planning any large scale job losses. We are conscious however of the possibility of further funding cuts after the election.”
The University of Southampton, the largest university in the south-east with more than 22,000 students, was last year awarded £100m from the HEFC, around a third of its annual income.
A spokesman for the University and College Union said: “We will see teachers on the dole, students in larger classes and a higher education sector unable to contribute as much to the economy or society. Considering we already spend less of a percentage of our gross domestic product (GDP) than our competitor countries on higher education, few people will agree that slashing funding is the way to ensure the UK can retain, let alone improve, its world-class reputation.”
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