Students who go through clearing could pay lower fees

Tue, 19 Apr 2011

University applicants who fail to get onto their chosen course could end up paying lower tuition fees if they go through clearing, it has been claimed.

This could mean that two students taking the same course at the same university could end up paying different fees.

Furthermore, it would likely be the student with lower grades - and so went through clearing - who would benefit.

Ministers have confirmed this is a possibility as there are no rules currently in place to stop universities charging lower fees for the same course, reports Sky News.

Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, told the news provider: "If universities have set their prices at £9,000, as most of them have, and they find they are not getting the applications they are expecting, it might come to clearing and they start to discount those prices.

"I think there would be a seriously perverse incentive if students that got poorer grades end up getting a discount and sitting next to a student that perhaps worked harder, got better grades and ended up having to pay a higher price."

This week, it was announced that another two universities - Hull and Lincoln - intend to charge the maximum £9,000 in tuition fees under the new system.
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