University Alliance was also featured in coverage by The Times following former Universities and Science Minister David Willetts’ proposals that debts owed by students could be sold to the university they attended. He said this would give universities a stronger interest in ensuring that their students secured good jobs so they paid back more of their debt sooner. This would improve employment rates and earnings, and strengthen relationships between universities and graduates.
Steve West, chairman of the University Alliance, which represents 22 of the newer universities, whose graduates often work in science, technology and start-up companies, responded: “[This] would penalise universities that take students from non-traditional backgrounds, who are more likely to stay within the region they study [usually closer to home to start with] and go into lower-salaried graduate work.”
