Universities have cancelled over 5,000 degree courses because of Government cuts and the rise in tuition fees, it has been claimed.

A study by Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA), a service for admissions tutors, claims there will be a 12 per cent drop in the number of courses provided next year compared to 2011, The Independent reports.  The research suggests that many universities are cutting courses that have been deemed ‘too expensive’ or ‘not good enough’.

SPA says 38,147 courses will be offered by the University and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) in 2012, down from 43,360 this year. A spokesman said the cuts were “a possible reflection of the systematic review of course provision by some higher education institutions”.

A University and College Union (UCU) spokesman said: “It’ll be a real tragedy if [students living at home to reduce costs] find cuts at their local university mean they can no longer study the subject they have always wanted.”

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts defended the Government’s decision earlier this year, he said: ”The intent of our higher education reforms are clear: we are putting students at the heart of the system with a financing system that is fairer and affordable for the nation. While we expect universities to offer good value for money, students will have the information to decide what course and institution is right for them. Institutions will have to work much harder to attract students and be explicit about the quality of their teaching and the type of experience they offer.”

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by Victoria Bamber