Concerned students protest outside University of Bradford

As reported by the Telegraph & Argus in March, the University and College Union said the University of Bradford plans to axe at least 300 jobs.

Chemistry and film and television courses are also set to be shut by the university in a bid to save cash, the union said.

Proposals have also been unveiled to shut the university's early-years nursery.

A spokesperson from the University of Bradford told the T&A there was a "funding crisis" affecting the higher education sector, meaning "almost all" institutions were having to make cuts.

Students at the University of Bradford held a protest outside the Richmond Building on Great Horton Road yesterday afternoon to highlight their concerns over the plans.

They also expressed their anger after estimates suggested tuition fees could go up to as much as £10,500 for students beginning university in 2029.

Tom Gibson, of Bradford Socialist Students, said: "Instead of the increases in tuition fees to squeeze the incomes of students further, and the increasing announcements at universities around the country of course closures and job cuts, we are demanding that instead the Government makes the super-rich pay to fund education and public services in general."

A spokesperson from the University of Bradford said: "We completely respect our students' right to protest and agree this issue deserves continued national attention.

"The funding crisis affecting the higher education sector means almost all universities have to look at ways of becoming more efficient.

"For us, part of this involves reviewing course provision and staffing.

"We are also in the process of implementing a new and progressive strategy that will protect jobs and enable us to offer a greater range of higher education options to more people at a time and place that suits their needs."

The university previously revealed it needed to make at least £13 million in savings.  

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "This Government inherited a sector facing serious financial risk and has taken tough decisions to fix the foundations of higher education to deliver change for students.

"In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make, we expect the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.

"Universities are independent from Government but, through our plan for change, we remain committed to boosting the sector's long-term financial sustainability and restoring universities as engines of opportunity, aspiration and growth."