PROSPECTIVE university students in East Lancashire could soon be offered lower fees and additional financial support.

Bosses at the Burnley campus at University of Central Lancashire have revealed they are ‘examining the possibility’ of lowering tuition fees at the centre.

This comes in addition to the university’s announcement that it would be setting aside more than £6million as part of a support and bursary initiative to help students from deprived backgrounds study to higher education levels.

But the director at Burnley Campus Dr Martin Brown said that any reduction of fees would not be set lower than £6,000, which will be charged for foundation degrees from Septmeber next year.

The review to reduce the fees is in its early stages and no further details have been released.

The University of Central Lancashire announced last week that the Office for Fair Access had approved its proposals to set tuition fees to £9,000 a year.

Elsewhere in East Lancashire Blackburn college is charging £7,000 a year for its degree courses.

UCLan’s £6million student support fund includes bursaries for students from the poorest families, providing opportunities for structured work experience and overseas placements as well as free access to sports facilities.

Higher education institutions across the country have been forced to hike up their fees after the government announced funding would be cut from its highger education budgets.

Following that announcement, MPs voted in favour to allow universities to hike up fees to make up the shortfall. and additional support to help students make the transition to university and to make the most of the opportunities once they are here.

Mr Brown, director for UCLan’s Burnley Campus, said: “For our Burnley campus we are examining the possibility of further reductions in the overall cost of degree courses.

“It is also worth noting that 60 per cent of Burnley courses are at Foundation Degree level for which we are proposing a charge in the region of £6,000.

“Prospective students will not pay any of these new fees upfront and loans are available to cover all costs.”