Why record A-Level results won’t stop universities from struggling episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 13, 2026 · 17 MIN

Why record A-Level results won’t stop universities from struggling

from This Is Why

As envelopes were ripped open up and down the country, university vice-chancellors were as eager to find out the results as hundreds of thousands of anxious students.So, a record number of undergraduates heading to campus this autumn might seem like good news for the higher education sector.But do frozen tuition frees, rising costs, and reduced investment for universities tell a different story?And with the prime minister encouraging more teenagers to take up vocational training, what does the future look like for universities?Niall Paterson is joined by Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute.Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 13, 2026

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Why record A-Level results won’t stop universities from struggling

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