The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) confirmed today that tuition fees at English universities will average £8.393 in 2012; this figure is significantly higher than the government’s original estimate. Around a third of English universities will be allowed to charge £9,000 for at least some courses in 2012. However, under the agreement with higher education institutions, OFFA require proof that institutions will commit to “improving access for students who are under-represented in higher education” when approving these high fees.

When it was announced by the government that from September 2012, universities in England will be allowed to raise tuition fees up to £9,000 per year, Business Secretary, Vince Cable, stated that fees over £6,000 would only be levied in exceptional circumstances. But it soon became apparent that many universities planned to charge the top fee of £9,000, causing embarrassment to the government and an unanticipated level of public spending on government funded student loans. So, today’s announcement from OFFA needed to spell out exactly how universities could justify those fees and how they would improve access for those students ‘under-represented in higher education’.

OFFA have revealed that English universities and colleges charging above £6,000 for their courses plan to boost their spending on access measures to £602 million a year by 2015-16, up from £407 million in 2011-12. After negotiation, OFFA has approved 2012-13 Access Agreements for 139 institutions – 123 higher education institutions and 16 further education colleges.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Sir Graeme Davies, Director of Fair Access, said, “ “These Agreements represent a considerable commitment by universities and colleges to improving access for students who are under-represented in higher education and where appropriate, improving retention and student success.

“We consider that long-term, targeted outreach is key to widening participation and fair access and in our guidance we asked institutions to increase their efforts in this area. Outreach includes activities such as summer schools, working closely with schools to raise pupils’ aspirations and attainment, mentoring, and advice and guidance for pupils.”

However, Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, has responded to the announcement, "Fee waivers are being used in a cynical attempt to cover up the mess made when the government trebled the tuition fee cap, instead of properly supporting less-wealthy students.

"Vince Cable had stated that fees over £6,000 would only be levied in exceptional circumstances but his solemn promise has quite clearly now been left in tatters."

In a separate statement, Vince Cable added, "We will be monitoring performance on fair access closely every year to ensure we see tangible progress in opening the doors of our universities to the most disadvantaged."

	Fee data for 2012
Higher education institutions	Minimum fee	Maximum fee	Estimated average fee
	£	£	£
Anglia Ruskin University	7,500	8,300	8,175
Aston University	5,300	9,000	8,722
University of Bath	5,750	9,000	8,857
Bath Spa University	7,500	9,000	8,653
University of Bedfordshire	6,000	9,000	8,665
Birkbeck College	6,000	9,000	8,462
University of Birmingham	9,000	9,000	9,000
Birmingham City University	6,000	9,000	7,765
University College Birmingham	7,800	7,800	7,800
Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln	5,625	7,500	7,201
University of Bolton	5,100	8,400	7,041
The Arts University College at Bournemouth	8,600	8,600	8,600
Bournemouth University	6,000	9,000	7,889
University of Bradford	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Brighton	7,000	9,000	8,751
University of Bristol	9,000	9,000	9,000
Brunel University	6,000	9,000	9,000
Buckinghamshire New University	6,000	8,000	7,499
University of Cambridge	9,000	9,000	9,000
Canterbury Christ Church University	4,500	8,500	7,953
University of Central Lancashire	6,000	9,000	8,447
Central School of Speech and Drama	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Chester	3,250	9,000	8,703
University of Chichester	8,500	8,500	8,500
City University, London	9,000	9,000	9,000
Courtauld Institute of Art	9,000	9,000	9,000
Coventry University	4,800	9,000	7,497
University for the Creative Arts	8,500	8,500	8,500
University of Cumbria	8,400	8,400	8,400
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama	9,000	9,000	9,000
De Montfort University	6,000	9,000	8,739
University of Derby	6,995	7,995	7,336
University of Durham	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of East Anglia	5,600	9,000	8,424
University of East London	9,000	9,000	9,000
Edge Hill University	6,000	9,000	8,717
Institute of Education	7,500	7,500	7,500
University of Essex	7,000	9,000	8,551
University of Exeter	4,500	9,000	9,000
University College Falmouth	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Gloucestershire	6,000	8,250	8,139
Goldsmiths College, University of London	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Greenwich	6,000	9,000	7,884
Guildhall School of Music & Drama	9,000	9,000	9,000
Harper Adams University College	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Hertfordshire	5,800	8,500	7,495
Heythrop College	1,000	8,250	7,553
University of Huddersfield	7,950	7,950	7,950
University of Hull	6,000	9,000	8,861
Imperial College London	9,000	9,000	9,000
Keele University	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Kent	5,500	9,000	8,762
King's College London	9,000	9,000	9,000
Kingston University	3,000	9,000	7,822
Lancaster University	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Leeds	9,000	9,000	9,000
Leeds Metropolitan University	8,500	8,500	8,500
Leeds College of Music	9,000	9,000	9,000
Leeds Trinity University College	4,250	8,000	7,651
University of Leicester	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Lincoln	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Liverpool	4,500	9,000	8,778
Liverpool Hope University	8,250	8,250	8,250
Liverpool John Moores University	6,000	9,000	8,930
Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of the Arts London	9,000	9,000	9,000
London School of Economics and Political Science	8,500	8,500	8,500
London Metropolitan University	4,500	9,000	6,589
London South Bank University	5,950	8,450	8,323
Loughborough University	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Manchester	9,000	9,000	9,000
Manchester Metropolitan University	3,375	9,000	7,781
Middlesex University	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Newcastle upon Tyne	9,000	9,000	9,000
Newman University College	8,500	8,500	8,500
University of Northampton	8,500	8,500	8,500
University of Northumbria at Newcastle	8,500	8,500	8,500
Norwich University College of the Arts	8,500	8,500	8,500
University of Nottingham	9,000	9,000	9,000
Nottingham Trent University	6,500	8,500	8,426
School of Oriental and African Studies	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Oxford	9,000	9,000	9,000
Oxford Brookes University	6,000	9,000	8,696
School of Pharmacy	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Plymouth	6,500	9,000	8,778
University College Plymouth St Mark & St John	5,995	7,800	7,753
University of Portsmouth	6,000	8,500	8,485
Queen Mary, University of London	9,000	9,000	9,000
Ravensbourne	8,300	8,500	8,476
University of Reading	9,000	9,000	9,000
Roehampton University	7,500	8,250	7,982
Rose Bruford College	9,000	9,000	9,000
Royal Academy of Music	9,000	9,000	9,000
Royal Agricultural College	6,000	9,000	8,852
Royal College of Music	9,000	9,000	9,000
Royal Holloway, University of London	3,000	9,000	8,911
Royal Northern College of Music	9,000	9,000	9,000
Royal Veterinary College	7,500	9,000	8,732
St George's Hospital Medical School	6,000	9,000	8,544
St Mary's University College	4,000	8,000	7,919
University of Salford	8,000	9,000	8,329
University of Sheffield	6,000	9,000	8,975
Sheffield Hallam University	8,500	8,500	8,500
University of Southampton	9,000	9,000	9,000
Southampton Solent University	7,420	7,800	7,747
Staffordshire University	1,000	8,890	7,599
Universities of East Anglia and Essex; Joint Provision at University Campus Suffolk	7,500	8,000	7,911
University of Sunderland	7,000	8,500	7,848
University of Surrey	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Sussex	9,000	9,000	9,000
Teesside University	6,000	8,500	8,239
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance	9,000	9,000	9,000
University College London	9,000	9,000	9,000
University of Warwick	6,000	9,000	8,940
University of the West of England, Bristol	9,000	9,000	9,000
The University of West London	6,000	8,200	7,614
University of Westminster	6,000	9,000	8,004
University of Winchester	8,500	8,500	8,500
University of Wolverhampton	6,000	8,500	8,253
University of Worcester	6,000	8,100	7,643
Writtle College	8,000	8,000	8,000
University of York	9,000	9,000	9,000
York St John University	3,500	8,500	8,339
Askham Bryan College	7,000	7,000	7,000
Blackburn College	7,000	7,000	7,000
Blackpool and the Fylde College	6,000	8,000	6,084
Bradford College	6,700	6,700	6,700
City of Bath College	7,500	7,500	7,500
Cleveland College of Art and Design	8,000	8,000	8,000
Croydon College	5,750	8,000	5,855
Hereford College of Arts	8,000	8,000	8,000
Leeds City College	6,200	6,200	6,200
Leeds College of Art	8,250	8,250	8,250
The Manchester College	5,400	8,000	5,585
Northbrook College, Sussex	7,000	7,500	7,046
Plymouth College of Art	9,000	9,000	9,000
Ruskin College	8,500	8,500	8,500
Somerset College of Arts and Technology	7,000	7,500	7,130
Sparsholt College Hampshire	7,500	8,500	8,346

Source: OFFA