Degree Costs Hiked Up 312% since 1988 and Set to Rise Another 101% by 2012

The annual cost of studying for a degree has increased by 311.5% since 1988, according to research released on November 10 by UCU (University and College Union).

Thousands took to the streets of London on that day to protest against cuts to post-16 education and the rise in student fees in the wake of the government's public spending cuts and in response to Lord Browne's review of higher education funding and student finance. The spiralling cost of going to university was put into context by the UCU research that shows that a shopping basket of everyday household items rose by just 127.1% in the same period – between 1988 and 2010.

If the weekly shop had increased at the same rate as going to university then a pint of milk would now cost over a pound (£1.07) and one kg of sausages close to £8 (£7.86). Despite the rocketing cost of a university education, the student:staff ratio has also increased. In 1988 the student:staff ratio was just 12.6:1. Two decades later (the most recent figures available are for 2008-9) the ratio was 16.3:1.

The union said plans to raise annual tuition fees to £9,000 would be the final nail in the coffin of affordable university education and the end of genuine choice of degree for thousands of people. If Parliament allows tuition fees to rise to £9,000, students starting university in 2012 will face a bill for the first year of their degree (tuition and maintenance loans) 101% higher than their contemporaries who started this year.

In further education colleges, the government is pursuing a similar policy of transferring costs from state to student, by introducing a new loans system for students over 24, who previously had free access to certain courses. Younger students (16-19) have also been hit as the education maintenance allowance (EMA) – a weekly payment to support the costs of study – is set to be cut.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “Politicians have consistently let students down over the years. However, these latest set of proposals go too far. If implemented, the government's plans will completely change the landscape of further and higher education. They would represent the final nail in the coffin of affordable university education and the end of genuine choice of degree for thousands of people.

“The rest of the world is investing in education yet we're doing the opposite. College grants that are often the difference between some students being able to study or not – the EMA – are being axed and university students are expected to shoulder the burden of punitive cuts to teaching grants. Wednesday is another step in our campaign against the cuts to education and the fight for an education system that is fair and progressive.”

Table one – rising cost of degrees and shopping baskets 1988/89-2009/10

Shopping basket	cash cost in pence 88/89	cash cost in pence  09/10	cash change	RT cost in pence in 09/10	RT change	Cash cost in pence if item had increased at same rate as university cost (311.5%)	RT cost in pence if item had increased in RT at same rate as university cost	RT index
Cheddar cheese per kg	300	750	150.0%	382	27.4%	1235	629	127.4
Eggs per dozen (size 4)	95	274	188.4%	140	46.9%	391	199	146.9
Pint of milk	26	44	69.2%	22	-13.8%	107	54	86.2
Sliced loaf white bread	46	123	167.4%	63	36.2%	189	96	136.2
Butter	54	102	88.9%	52	-3.8%	222	113	96.2
New potatoes per kg	48	154	220.8%	78	63.4%	198	101	163.4
Apples per kg	76	153	101.3%	78	2.6%	313	159	102.6
Bananas per kg	106	93	-12.3%	47	-55.3%	436	222	44.7
Pork sausages per kg	191	402	110.5%	205	7.2%	786	400	107.2
Chicken	183	290	58.5%	148	-19.3%	753	384	80.7
Tea bags per 250kg	100	179	79.0%	91	-8.8%	412	210	91.2
Instant coffee per 100g	131	226	72.5%	115	-12.1%	539	275	87.9
Pint of lager	99	280	182.8%	143	44.1%	407	208	144.1
Packet of 20 cigarettes	148	543	266.9%	277	86.9%	609	310	186.9
petrol per litre – diesel	34	104	205.9%	53	55.8%	140	71	155.8
AVERAGE	1637	3717	127.1%	1894	15.7%	6736	3431	115.7
RPI all items	437.9	859.6	96.3%	438	0.0%	1802	918	100.0
cost of uni. £	1545.5	6360	311.5%	3240	109.6%	6360	3239	209.6

RT=real terms (i.e. with the effect of inflation removed)

Table two – student:staff ratios 1988/89-2008/09

	UK HE SSR*
1988/89	12.6:1
1989/90	13.1:1
1990/91	13.5:1
1998/99	16.7:1
1999-00	16.4:1
2000-01	16.3:1
2008/09	16.3:1

Full-time equivalents. 1988/89: combination of Pre- and Post-92 HEIs, UCU FTE calculation: all student:staff ratios for Pre-92 universities were derived from are derived from USR volume 3.  Post-92 HE students and lecturer SSR derived from DfE/DFEE annual reports. 2008/09: data supplied to UCU by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Table three – cost of going to university

	1988/1989	2009/2010	2012/13
Average gross household income (£ a year)1	19210	45699	Above grant threshold (£42,000)
RPI 2	37709	45699
Tuition fee loans 3	0	3225	9000
Living cost 'top-up' loans 3	0	3940	3750
Living costs parents 3	1797.5	0	0
Tuition fee upfront 3	0	0	0
TOTAL	1797.5	7165	12750
Living cost grants 3	252.5	805	0
TOTAL MINUS grant	1545.5	6360	12750
RPI 2	3034	6360
Index
%age of hh income	8	13.9

All calculations assume full-time English domiciled undergraduate dependent on parental income studying a three-year course at an institution outside of London

1. Source: Office for National Statistics: Average Incomes of households before and after taxes and benefits; 2 adults with children non retired households 1988/89-2008/09. Later figures were calculated using Consumer Price Index forecasts from Budget 2010 Report, June 2010 (table 1.2, p18)

2. RPI calculated using Retail Prices Index: Long Run Series 1947-2010 from Office for National Statistics

3. Source: Education (Student Support) Regulations Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI)

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