UK universities warn of cuts for impoverished students if dire funding issues continue

Universities are considering mergers with other institutions, like King’s College London, which recently announced it will absorb Cranfield University. Photograph: Jeffrey Blackler/Alamy

Vice-chancellors have said they may need to cut hardship support for impoverished students and reduce outreach activities aimed at disadvantaged groups if the dire funding struggles at universities continue.

The anonymous poll of leaders by Universities UK (UUK) revealed the extent of the budgetary quagmire facing higher education, with more than two-thirds prepared to cut staff jobs by compulsory redundancy if difficulties continue over the next three years, while nearly 90% said they were looking at hiring freezes or voluntary redundancies.