Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial sustainability of universities; and what measures they intend to take to ensure that institutions can maintain teaching and research excellence without reducing academic provision or workforce capacity.

The department remains committed to creating a secure future for the higher education (HE) sector. The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out our commitment to placing the sector on a more sustainable footing, supporting providers to drive efficiency, strengthening financial resilience, and adopting more effective operating models. We increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation in 2025/26 and are doing the same in 2026/27 and 2027/28.

HE providers are independent from government and are responsible for managing their finances. We encourage providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable business models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution.

The department continues to work closely with the Office for Students to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape.

The International Education Strategy has confirmed our continued commitment to welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK.