Universities 'face tipping point' as money runs out

Institutions at risk could merge and departments be cut back

- Richard Adams

English universities face a "tipping point" this autumn that could push some into financial crisis, according to vice-chancellors who say urgent intervention may be needed to stop institutions going under.

Hundreds of thousands of sixth-formers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will get their A-level results on Thursday, with their decisions on where and when to attend higher education forming a make-or-break point for several universities.

David Maguire, vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, said that "an awful lot of institutions are placing extremely large bets on this recruitment round," and warned: "Quite frankly I don't think there are enough students to go around." Mergers between institutions and departments being cut back appear the most likely short-term solutions, until universities receive more secure funding, according to sector leaders who spoke to the Guardian.

Maguire said that with international student recruitment falling sharply, universities were having to "aggressively" recruit more UK undergraduates in the clearing process. "I think the tipping point will follow clearing-it's usually 1 October before the dust has settled and people know how many students they are going to get," he said.