Uni boss wants 'free' higher education for Brits

Higher education "should be free for British people", a university's vice-chancellor has said.

Prof Graham Galbraith CBE, from the University of Portsmouth, called for the government to do more to financially support "young people" and universities.

His comments come after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced on Monday that maintenance grants would return for some university students in England by 2029.

The Department for Education said its Plan for Change was increasing tuition fees in line with inflation and the Office for Students was being refocused to monitor the financial health of the sector.

Prof Galbraith told BBC Radio Solent: "The reality is that young people are finding the finances very, very difficult."

He added that many were having to work while they were at university and "cannot survive" doing this alongside their studies.

"I'm one of the people that went to university for free and I honestly believe that if the country is to be the country we want it to be then it should be free for British people and we should be finding ways to support our young people," Prof Galbraith said.

He said he was pleased to hear the government's decision to reintroduce grants, which he thinks will help some families who may find the idea of a maintenance loan - often totalling thousands of pounds - a "huge burden".

Current fees

• Tuition fees were introduced in 1998 and were set at £1,000 per year

• Students starting university in 2006 became the first to be charged the higher rate of £3,000

• In 2012, a significant shift occurred when fees in England were raised to a maximum of £9,000 per year

• They had been frozen at a maximum of £9,250 since 2017 but in 2025/26 hit £9,535 a year

The vice-chancellor also revealed increases in national insurance contributions coupled with cuts in government support in recent years meant the University of Portsmouth was going into the current academic year with a £1m reduction to its budget.

"Universities have done an amazing job at finding ways of providing the same quality of education at a lower cost but there are limits," he added.

Prof Galbraith believes the only way they can continue having British students is thanks to high fees paid by international students.

He called on universities to be "properly funded", adding: "I don't think we're supporting young people the way that we should."

He said "the balance" between what students, universities and the government pays for higher education had become "skewed".

"The expectation is that around 12 to 15% of the cost will not be paid back by the students over their lifetime, but I would have thought a contribution from government should be more than 15% towards the cost of higher education for young people," Prof Galbraith said.

In a statement, the Department for Education said it was taking "tough but fair decisions to put universities on a secure financial footing".

"University should be a time to grow, thrive and prepare for future careers, but we recognise that too many students are facing real financial hardship.

"That's why we will introduce maintenance grants for disadvantaged students studying priority courses, helping to support those from the lowest income households to progress into and excel in higher education," it added.