Hold Augar-style review and consider graduate tax, says Halfon

England should hold another review to determine the future direction of universities over the next half-century, according to a former higher education minister, who added that he felt the country should now seriously consider introducing a graduate tax.

Robert Halfon, who held the brief in the now-ousted Conservative government until March this year, said the range of factors currently threatening to disrupt institutions necessitated another commission similar to the one led by Sir Philip Augar, which reported in 2019.

“If I was in charge, I would have a really thorough six-month review into higher education and what we want students to do after 18,” Mr Halfon told Times Higher Education.

He said sector finances should “absolutely be part of that”, but there was a need to work out “what higher education is going to look like” before then considering how to pay for it.

Pointing to the challenges posed by AI and new technologies – which he said would, at some stage, be able to deliver lectures on any topic – as well as degree apprenticeships and the planned introduction of the lifelong learning entitlement, Mr Halfon said there were several “things going on in the background that will, in my view, change the nature of universities”.

“But they are currently still operating the same model as when I was a student. The only difference is I had a grant, now there’s a loan.”

While in post, Mr Halfon repeatedly ruled out raising tuition fees and said he stood by that decision now. “I wasn’t prepared to go to my constituents and say not only will you pay more to go to university, but we are going to ask the taxpayer to pay more, because at the end of the day it is a subsidised loan. I didn’t think it was right.”

He said he was open-minded about a future financing system but was attracted to the simplicity of a graduate tax.

“I always think a graduate tax would be the simplest of all. You don’t have the bureaucracy of the Student Loans Company. You could still have different codes within that if people are not earning enough, just like at the moment you are not charged income tax unless you earn over £12,500. But I’m not wedded to that. I don’t think we can put the cart before the horse.”

Mr Halfon stepped back from his ministerial role when he announced that he would be leaving Parliament at the last election. His former Harlow constituency was won by Labour with a 20 per cent swing as the Conservatives suffered their worst general election result in modern history.

Asked if he felt the party would adopt a less hostile approach to universities in opposition – after targeting “Mickey Mouse” degrees at the end of the last Parliament – Mr Halfon said: “I didn’t like that term particularly. I don’t think I ever used it. I was worried if you are someone who has gone to university, you are basically telling them their degrees are worthless.

“However, I thought the last government was absolutely right to focus on skills and outcomes. And you don’t have to use that term, but it is wrong if people are going to university and going on courses with poor outcomes.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com