Are sky-high tuition fees a threat to the engineering profession?

PE plans to speak to main universities to assess the outlook for engineering departments

When MPs voted to raise tuition fees, it was claimed that institutions would be only be allowed to charge the maximum of £9,000 in “exceptional circumstances”. Well, it appears that there are a lot of exceptional circumstances out there in the land of academia. For here, below, is a list of universities that have declared their tuition fees for 2012. And surprise, surprise – the vast majority have gone for the maximum they are allowed.

What effect will this have on the number of students deciding to go to university to study engineering? There is an argument that higher fees will be good for the profession. Students are more likely to want to get value for money, so the argument goes, by choosing a degree that is respected and gives them a decent chance of getting a job at the end of it.

That's as maybe. But others fear that sky-high tuition fees will inevitably lead to a slow decline in numbers. That would be disastrous. The sector desperately needs a strong supply of young talent if it is to avoid crippling skills shortages in coming years. 

It's something PE will be keeping a close eye on. We plan to speak to many of the main universities in the coming week to assess the outlook for engineering departments.

But what do readers think? Would sky-high tuition fees have stopped you from becoming an engineer? You opinions on this topical matter would be much appreciated.

Here is the list of universities that have declared their new tuition fee levels for 2012.

• Aston University £9,000
• Bath University £9,000
• Birkbeck University £6,000-£9,000 pro rata
• Birmingham University £9,000
• Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln £7,500
• Bournemouth University £8,200-£9,000
• Bradford University £9,000
• Brighton University £9,000
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School £9,000
• Bristol University £9,000
• Cambridge University £9,000
• City University London £9,000
• Coventry University £4,600-£9,000
• Derby University £6,995-£7,995
• Durham University £9,000
• Edge Hill University £9,000
• Essex University £9,000
• Exeter University £9,000
• Harper Adams University £9,000
• Hertfordshire University up to £8,500
• Huddersfield University £7,950
• Hull University £9,000
• Imperial College London £9,000
• Keele University £9,000
• Kent University £9,000
• Kingston University £8,500 for most degree courses (£9,000 for a minority)
• Lancaster University £9,000
• Leeds University £9,000
• Leeds Metropolitan University £8,500
• Leicester University £9,000
• Lincoln University £9,000
• Liverpool University £9,000
• Liverpool Hope University less than £9,000
• Liverpool John Moores University £9,000
• London Metropolitan University £4,500-£9,000
• London South Bank University £8,390
• Loughborough University £9,000
• Manchester University £9,000
• Manchester Metropolitan University £8,000-£9,000
• Newcastle University £9,000
• Northumbria University £8,500
• Nottingham University £9,000
• Oxford University £9,000
• Oxford Brookes University £9,000
• Portsmouth University £8,500
• Queen Mary, University of London £9,000
• Reading University £9,000
• Roehampton University £7,900-£8,250
• Royal Agricultural College £9,000
• Royal Holloway University £9,000
• Salford University £8,000-£9,000
• School of Oriental and African Studies £9,000
• Sheffield University £9,000
• Sheffield Hallam University £8,500
• Southampton University £9,000
• Southampton Solent University £7,800
• Surrey University £9,000
• Sussex University £9,000
• St George's, University of London £9,000 (£6,000 for foundation degrees)
• St Mary's University College, Twickenham £8,000
• Teesside University £8,500
• University of the Arts £9,000
• University College London £9,000
• University College Falmouth £9,000
• University Campus Suffolk £7,500-£8,000
• University of Central Lancashire £9,000
• University of East London £9,000
• Warwick University £9,000
• York St John University £8,500