Last month we wrote that UK Higher Education Academy had commissioned the Knowledge Partnership to look into the marketing implications of university fees. Rather than looking on the supply side impact perhaps they should be looking at the other end of the issue, the amount of money they can reasonably expect to collect. In Australia, one of the markets being looked at by the Knowledge Partnership, the Federal government has just had to announce that A$2.9b (£1.24b) of the A$10.2b (£4.37) owed by students will be written off as bad or doubtful debts. If this situation is replicated in the UK the economic and political consequences will be significant.
