Although the government expects that the raise of tuition fees up to £9,000 would "dramatically" increase the intake of universities from disadvantaged communities, Cambridge University fears that the number of students from the state schools will decrease next year.
According to the
essay papers submitted to the Offa, the only thing that is left for Cambridge is to maintain the status quo. In 1999, when the fees were introduced and in 2004 when they were increased the number of students from state sector dropped dramatically. Nowadays there are concerns that Cambridge will have to tackle a similar situation next year.
Offa rejects the university’s plans to charge the maximum fees starting from the next year for it believes that it took the office's published guidance not seriously. However, the university considers that its access statement, which was submitted to Offa to justify its fees, was challenging and fair but "realistic".
Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, said regarding the university’s plans to charge £9,000: "They're only going to be given permission to do so if they can prove that they can dramatically increase the number of people from poorer and disadvantaged backgrounds who presently aren't going."
Aaron Porter, the president of the National Union of Students, said: "After months of warnings to the government that huge debts would put students from less well-off backgrounds off going to university … we now see that one of those universities with the worst participation records has secretly acknowledged the negative impacts of rushing to the £9,000 cap."
Gareth Thomas, the shadow universities minister, said: "The government got wrong the number of universities that would charge the full £9,000; ministers were wrong that Offa could control fee levels; and now they've been found out on claims of more access."
