Hefce budget to be slashed by £915m over three years

The Government has confirmed that the fresh cuts to higher education funding announced by Lord Mandelson are in addition to the £600 million cuts set out in the pre-Budget report, prompting warnings that £915 million is to be slashed from the sector over three years.

In last week’s grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, Lord Mandelson announced a cut of £135 million in its 2010-11 settlement, alongside the £180 million in “efficiency savings” announced in the 2009 Budget.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has now confirmed that the £135 million reduction will be on top of the £600 million cut to higher education and science funding announced in the pre-Budget report earlier this month, which is to be implemented between 2011 and 2013 …

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