Liverpool John Moores University to charge the maximum £9,000 in tuition fees
Flickr (thespyglass): Rise in fees may result in similar protests seen earlier this year
Liverpool John Moores University has joined a long list of universities who will charge the maximum £9,000 in tuition fees.
The university said by charging the minimum £6,000 a year would result in a loss of £26m a year which would result in closure of the university.
Law student Kate Townsend who is in her third year at Liverpool John Moores University said: “I understand that the University need to charge more in fees to stay afloat but to nearly triple the cost of tuition is ridiculous.
“Soon people will be priced out of University because the debts will just be too much. It will be interesting to see how course standards are affected by the rise in fees.”
University Vice Chancellor Professor Michael Brown, who retires after an 11-year tenure in August, said: "If we adopted the £6,000 minimum we would lose £26m a year due to the shortfall in funding. But charging £9,000 a year students will continue to get a good academic education and additional graduate skills through our World of Work programme.
He added: "We want Liverpool John Moores students to continue to get an experience that is life changing and by charging these fees we will continue to do that. If we had offered £6,000 a year the university would have closed."
By charging the full amount in fees, Liverpool John Moores University will be putting themselves in the same bracket as red brick universities such as University of Manchester and Liverpool as well as notorious institutions Oxford and Cambridge.
However students hoping to study in Liverpool can expect a “life changing experience” as well as improved bursaries and scholarships.
Council Leader Joe Anderson fears that news of both universities in the city charging maximum fees may have a big impact on the number of students hoping to study in the city and will as a result affect the economy in the region when considering the £250m that students bring.
He said: "To me £9,000 is too high and this could deter students and devastate the future plans of those families on low incomes."
He did add however that he felt universities were being “forced” into charging so much due to government cuts.