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NI review panel rejects tuition fee rise
23 February 2010
A panel reviewing university tuition fees in Northern Ireland has apparently ruled that the cap on annual charges should not be lifted.
A report leaked to Queen's University's student newspaper Gown claims a review chaired by Joanne Stuart, head of Northern Ireland's Institute of Directors (IoD), has concluded that tuition fees should remain unchanged, with alternative means found to fund higher education.
The report, as quoted by the Guardian, states: "[It is] difficult to link the additional income generated from the introduction of variable fees with an improved student experience.
"If serious consideration is to be given to increasing the fee cap, then the HEIs will need to be able to show the improvements."
No publication date has yet been given for the official version of the report, which was commissioned by Northern Ireland's Department for Employment and Learning.
The IoD was established in 1906 and is Europe's largest membership organisation for business leaders.