The Government has announced a package of measures to make sure that the UK’s higher education sector is protected from the impact of coronavirus.
Universities and other higher education providers will be able to recruit up to 5% more than their forecasted student numbers in the next academic year, and the Government will allocate up to 10,000 extra places. Half of these will be ringfenced for health and nursing courses, to make sure that our NHS and public services are fully staffed and supported.
£100m of research funding is being brought forward to make sure that education providers in England can continue with their vital research projects during the crisis, and support our economic recovery.
Employers and employees at universities can also access existing support schemes, including business loans and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, in order to protect jobs and improve cash flow in the current circumstances.
You can find out more about these measures, and the kinds of support available to staff and students, on the Government website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students’
A letter from Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities, is also available in PDF format at the bottom of this page.