analysis from London Economics produced on behalf of UUK shows how, since HE funding was reformed in 2012, the cost of getting a degree has shifted significantly towards graduates and away from government.

Jisc has released a report on digital equity in transnational education, identifying considerations for institutions seeking to provide equitable digital experiences to students learning on overseas programmes. The guidance covers themes including licensing, curriculum adaptation, staff cross-cultural readiness, and infrastructure. Jisc observes that UK providers “cannot assume that curriculum journeys designed for a UK infrastructure and educational context will translate as intended within TNE environments.”

The British Academy has published a report into open access for long-form publications. Based on interviews with library leaders, the perspectives of academics, and qualitative data it recommends the development of a clear strategy for longform OA, sustainable funding and infrastructure, and meaningful author engagement. It found that academics in humanities, social science and arts disciplines still view green OA (for example via institutional repositories) as a “last resort” access group.

The British Academy has released an update to its data-driven analysis of the geographic spread of higher education provision in the humanities, arts and social sciences. Writing for Wonkhe this morning, the British Academy’s Ruairi Cullen notes that while provision in such subjects is stable or growing in Russell Group universities, it is in decline in other providers. Traditionally high demand subjects, including business and management, sociology, and psychology saw growth only in the Russell Group last year.

The real focus of the BA’s interactive maps is the geographic impact of these changes. It is no longer possible to study English literature in any part of Cumbria, while Kent and the south coast no longer has teaching in languages, philosophy, or anthropology.

Student ratings of specialist mental health mentoring – the largest category of non-medical help (NMH) funded through the Disabled Students' Allowance – have fallen 14 percentage points over three application years, from 72 per cent rating support high quality in 2022/23 to 58 per cent in 2024/25.

The figure appears in Non-medical help through DSA: students' experiences and perceived quality, an IFF Research mixed-methods study commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), which concludes that NMH plays "a retention support function for HEPs, even though not designed as such". It also flags the absence of any NMH role tailored to ADHD, alongside evidence that students are routinely accepting online support without realising they have a regulatory right to be reallocated to another provider when their preferred mode is unavailable in their region.

A report from the University of East London (UEL), in support of Universities UK’s Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce, covering 160 UK higher education institutions, finds some universities are generating surpluses of up to 37% with strong cash reserves, while others are running deficits of up to 28% with cash spend equivalent to a quarter of annual income.

The Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study, based on a survey of nearly 4,000 associate and bachelor’s degree students, finds that 57% use AI daily or weekly for schoolwork, while just 13% say they never use it. Yet more than half of students (53%) say their institution discourages or prohibits AI use in coursework, and 52% report that at least some of their classes lack clear guidance on specific use policies.

The findings point to a gap between student behavior and institutional policy — one with implications for academic integrity, teaching practices and workforce preparation.