Libby Hackett, chief executive of the Russell Group representing 24 leading UK universities including Oxford and Cambridge, has called for the ability to charge variable tuition fees rather than the current fixed rate. She argues the current system is "not fit for purpose" because universities lose money on many courses—Russell Group institutions subsidise degrees by up to £3,500 per student—whilst potentially overcharging elsewhere.

Current tuition fees are capped at £9,790 for the 2026-27 academic year, having remained largely static since 2012 when the government hoped flexible pricing would create competition amongst universities. Hackett proposes differentiating fees by subject and institution type, citing Australia's model where nursing and teaching students receive heavy subsidies due to their societal benefit. She also criticised Britain's student loan system as unfair, noting that the poorest students borrow most whilst facing high interest rates, and argued that university is not suitable for everyone and alternative forms of further education deserve consideration.