It’s not about ‘woke’ or foreign students – the truth is that UK universities are starved of cash

‘Universities UK’s Vivienne Stern has called the government’s bluff and openly demanded a rise in tuition fees.’ Photograph: handout

What is the biggest problem bedevilling universities right now?

Talk to academics, students or parents, and there’s no shortage of contenders. Universities are buzzing with rumours about institutions that might be about to go bust, or at the very least scrap the course your child’s heart was set upon. Students mainly worry about money – to the point where the NUS found one in 10 were using food banks – as do parents forced to top up maintenance loans that barely cover the rent.