DURHAM University has announced it is to charge undergraduates £9,000 a year - the maximum possible - in tuition fees from 2012.
Durham is one of a handful of elite universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, to almost triple their fees after the Government gave the go-ahead to raise them.
Despite concerns it could discourage bright students from poor families from applying, the management at Durham University say its degrees are worth the extra money.
The institution, which has some of the toughest academic entry standards in the country, revealed its pricing plan after a meeting of its University Council.
Professor Chris Higgins, the university’s Vice Chancellor, said: “The QS World University league tables rank Durham in the world’s top 25 universities for the quality of, and demand for, our graduates from the world’s top 5,000 blue chip employers.
“So, the value of a Durham degree, enhanced with the opportunities we provide for participation, pastoral support, leadership and personal development in our community, is clear.”
He added the university would be announcing a programme of scholarships and bursaries in the spring, which would “ensure Durham continues to recruit the students with the greatest merit and potential, regardless of background”.
Last night, Roberta Blackman-Woods, MP for City of Durham and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Universities Group, said she wasn’t surprised by the announcement, but hoped it would not deter young people from poorer backgrounds.
“As one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country, I had fully expected Durham University to charge the full £9,000 fees,” she said.
“The real issue here though is that the Government legislated for this and at the same time removed 80% of the teaching grant from universities.”
Durham Students’ Union president Sam Roseveare said he was pleased there was a plan to develop a programme of student support.
“Competition for places at Durham in several subjects is the highest in the UK and a Durham degree is worth the investment,” he said.
“We will now be looking to the university to fulfil its commitment to providing the further enhancements to student services and facilities that will now be possible.”
At the end of last year, MPs voted to increase tuition fees to £6,000 a year, with institutions allowed to charge £9,000 in “exceptional circumstances”.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government plans to increase the tuition fees paid by students from the rest of UK to help plug the funding gap in higher education, Education Secretary Michael Russell said yesterday.
