The Coalition Government has today set out its vision for reforming higher education.
The proposals, contained in a White Paper entitled 'Students at the Heart of the System', cover four broad areas: reforming funding; delivering a better student experience; enabling universities to increase social mobility; and reducing regulation and removing barriers for new providers.
The reforms will ensure better information for students before they apply, better teaching while at university, greater transparency in areas such as feedback on their work and better preparation for the job market.
Universities Minister, David Willetts, said:
"The Government will reform the financing of higher education, promote a better student experience and foster social mobility. Our overall goal is a sector that is freed to respond in new ways to the needs of students.
"Responding to student demand means enabling a greater diversity of provision. This may mean more higher education going on in a wider range of different settings, such as Further Education colleges and other alternative providers offering innovative types of course.
"We must move away from a world in which the number of students allocated to each university is determined in Whitehall. But universities will be under competitive pressure to provide better quality and at lower cost."
The White Paper comes as part of the wider government agenda to put more power in the hands of the consumer. The Government has launched a major programme for public sector modernisation by cutting waste and bringing choice, encouraging competition and opening the market up to new providers. For higher education, this means that in future funding will follow the choices of the student.