GuildHE has expressed serious concerns about the effects on social mobility and the sustainability of some of our leading specialist higher education institutions, following the delayed publication of the Department for Education guidance on the Strategic Priorities Grant allocation.
Under this new guidance, there will be significant cuts to some subject funding and student premiums, with implications across the sector. There is particular exposure for providers with nursing, computing, archaeology, geography, history and creative arts provision; none of which will receive teaching funding any longer. For higher education providers specialising in these disciplines, such late cuts just before the start of this next academic year could lead to significant and profound reductions in the number of students training to be nurses, AI engineers or arts professionals.
Whilst we recognise the difficult choices facing DfE, cutting funding specifically for healthcare and creative arts subjects, which form a major part of the current Industrial Strategy, will be immensely damaging for the long-term health of the graduate pipeline into these industries and, therefore, undermining of the government’s own ambitions.
Dr Brooke Storer-Church, Chief Executive of GuildHE said:
GuildHE is deeply concerned that critical subjects are losing public funding, threatening student places and essential talent pipelines for vital public services and our globally-recognised creative industries. This sharp and unmitigated reduction of funding will jettison key support for young people’s social mobility.
Cuts to creative arts provision will undo decades of investment in expanding access to the creative industries in particular. We, therefore, urge the Government to protect these vital foundations and think creatively about ways to secure some level of public funding.
GuildHE remains committed to working with the Government to identify alternative paths forward as it delivers its commitment to review the Strategic Priorities Grant for the future.
Dr Brooke Storer-Church, CEO, GuildHE
Members can view our full policy briefing on the 2026-27 Strategic Priorities Grant in our Members Area.
Image credit: Gregg Brown Photography / University of Suffolk