News and events

Quality for all

Published 19 April 2011

The University of Brighton is proposing to set tuition fees of £9,000 for its undergraduate courses from 2012.

Foundation degrees taught at its partner colleges across Sussex will attract fees of between £7,000 and £8,300.

Professor Julian Crampton, the university's Vice-Chancellor, said: "We have considered very carefully and fully all the implications of the coalition government's new policy on university funding.

"We have come to the firm conclusion that to continue to provide the high-quality professional and socially and economically-relevant degree courses for which the University of Brighton is renowned, we need to ensure significant flows of future income. We have attracted nearly 40,000 applicants this year, making us the 12th most applied for university in the country, and our proposed fees reflect the real costs of providing the kinds of educational experience which our students expect, require and deserve.

"Our proposals will enable us to continue to develop and deliver cutting-edge professionally-focused education across all our fields of learning, from architecture and engineering to medicine and pharmacy, and from sport science and media production to computing and accountancy. Our courses are recognised and accredited by more than 60 statutory and professional bodies."

The proposed fee structure, he said, would enable the university to continue investing in the provision of state-of-the-art facilities. More than £100m recently has been invested in new science, education and sports facilities. The university will also build on its provision of pathways into employment. Many courses, he said, offer opportunities to spend a year on paid professional placements with a host of companies ranging from Rolls Royce to Channel 4. The university also has regular partnerships with more than 1,800 businesses and organisations. All of this, he said, enables students to develop relevant skills for the work place.

Professor Crampton said: "The University of Brighton provides quality courses to equip students with enterprise, creativity, professional skills and hands-on experience. The end result speaks for itself: 88 per cent of our graduates start a job or go into further study or training within six months of leaving the university."

The university, he said, will continue investing in the student experience and in support programmes such as the Matrix Standard student advice and guidance service. It will also build on its long-standing programmes of widening participation and fair access. Professor Crampton said: "We target financial support at those who need it – at young people leaving local authority care, those on low incomes, students from areas with low participation in higher education, and mature learners with no income."

Professor Crampton announced that more than £5m annually will be made available for fee waivers, bursaries and other forms of financial support. The package could reduce fees by £4,000 over the length of recipients' courses. A further £2.8m will be invested in outreach work with local schools and colleges, and for academic and pastoral support for students most in need, to help them make successful applications to the university and to support them in their studies and beyond.

He said the university was doing more than matching the government allocation, and students applying for financial assistance through the National Scholarship Programme will receive £3,000 in the first year and £2,000 thereafter. Sussex 'Accord Plus' students, targeted by the university's outreach programme in schools and colleges, will also be eligible for £2,000 bursaries a year.

Professor Crampton said: "Overall, we are shifting from giving small amounts of money to targeting substantial bursary support towards those who need it most. Local students satisfying the eligibility criteria may receive as much as £13,000 over three years."

Sam Mallender, president of the university's Students' Union, said: "We continue to condemn the government's relentless attacks against higher education and will carry on fighting for a fairer funding system. Due to governmental cuts we understand the university's decision to charge £9,000, and in this realise there is little other option to bridge the funding gap. We support the university's work in ensuring the student body is as diverse as possible and that students come from a wide range of economic backgrounds. Brighton Students' Union will also be working to ensure the best student experience for all our members, current and future."

Professor Crampton said: "We and our partner colleges have a strong record of making higher education available to people from the entire spectrum of social and economic backgrounds in Sussex and beyond. We have a reputation as one of the country’s most socially-inclusive universities and we are determined to continue offering quality to all."

Find out more about funding and fees in 2012.