Proposals from Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, will allow universities in England the ability to charge higher annual fees for shorter degree courses.

The proposals would allow universities to sign students up for a two-year degree and receive the same fee income as they would get from a three-year course.

The government says these ‘accelerated degrees’ are in response to a demand for more flexible courses that students can fit around work and life.

The Minister claimed: “These changes will not mean any compromise in quality, or an increase in overall degree costs for students. The tuition fees for a student taking an accelerated degree will never be more, in total, than those for the same degree over a longer time period. It is also likely that students will end up paying less overall because they will have fewer years of maintenance costs and a real chance of entering the workforce more quickly.”