Job cut fears at Welsh universities

Martin Shipton

Teaching staff in Welsh universities fear significant job cuts will be proposed following this week’s announcement by the Welsh Government of reduced funding for higher education.

In its final allocation of funds before being replaced by a new body at the beginning of August, HEFCW (Higher Education Funding Council Wales) would reduce from £219.3m in 2023-24 to £197.8m in 2024-25.

Grants to individual universities are being cut by £1.1m at Aberystwyth; £600k at Bangor; £3.7m at Cardiff; £400k at Cardiff Met; £1m at the Open University; £2.4m at Swansea £1.2m at the University of South Wales; £800k at University of Wales Trinity St David’s; and £300k at Wrexham.

Some overall HEFCW budget lines are being cut significantly, with strategic investment being more than halved from £12.0m to £5.7m. Drilling down to see what exactly is being cut, a regional investment fund worth £3.4m in 2023-24 is being cut entirely in 2024-25.

Likewise, a strategic development fund has been cut from £1.4m to nothing over the same period.

And a well-being and hardship fund that was worth £2.3m in 2023-24 is no longer funded in 2024-25.

Bursaries

Postgraduate taught (PGT) Master’s bursaries have also virtually disappeared. A statement on HEFCW’s website says: “These aimed to increase the number of Welsh graduates who remain in or return to Wales to undertake a PGT Master’s degree in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) related subjects, and PGT Master’s degrees studied through the medium of Welsh. These also provided bursary funding for those studying for a Master’s degree who were aged 60 or over.

“We no longer receive a grant from the Welsh Government to fund these bursaries, with the exception of a ring-fenced amount of £0.8m for any remaining continuing part-time bursaries.”

In 2023-24, the amount set aside for such bursaries was £3.1m.

Cuts

A member of the University and College Union at Cardiff University, who didn’t want to be named, said: “Obviously these funding cuts are going to impact on staff. Everybody is afraid for their jobs and worried about when cuts will be announced.

“The sector has had a terrible time in recent years. I’ve been on strike five times in the last four years, mainly about cuts to our pension fund but also about the extra workload being piled on us.

“The business model for universities was very much determined by the Tories, and was based on increasing international student fees and using the revenue to support the core funding of courses. Having increased the number of overseas students paying hefty fees, the same Tory government thought it was a good idea to crack down on international students because of their preoccupation with the need to cut immigration numbers. That’s having a significant impact on university revenues and is compounding the problem caused by government funding cuts.

“The union stands for a return to the days of no tuition fees so as to give everyone the opportunity to study in higher education without having to pile up huge debts that in many cases will never be repaid.

“The sector, together with the Welsh Government, needs to come up with a funding model that works. We’ll have to wait and see, but it doesn’t seem as if the new government in Westminster is going to be providing the sector with the money it needs.” Commenting on HEFCW’s last funding announcement, Bethan Owen, the body’s interim chief executive, said: “The funding picture for education remains challenging, but stable and sustainable investment in higher education teaching and research really is key to the nation’s social and economic success.

“We will continue to enable a well-regulated and well-regarded higher education sector as we move into Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, from August 1. Medr will inherit this funding settlement from us, and we are planning for as smooth a transition as possible into the new organisation.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the financial pressure higher education institutions in Wales and across the UK are under. As universities are independent organisations, they are managing their budgets in a range of ways. Universities make their own decisions on adjusting tuition fees based on the terms and conditions of their contracts with students and applicants.”