"The undersigned, as academics, teachers, administrative staff and researchers in the faculty of Humanities at the University of Manchester are fundamentally opposed to the coalition government’s proposal on the reform of HE funding on the following grounds: • Universities are places of education and there is a continuing public interest in the provision of Higher Education in the arts and humanities. Cutting the teaching budget of these departments by up to 80% poses a fundamental threat to the continued provision of high quality teaching and research, and will have potentially serious consequences in the long term for British education and culture. • We strongly believe higher education should receive strong public funding and support, and that higher education is of value to UK society as a whole. The proposed marketisation of education will result in future students making decisions on higher education and future careers in a purely economic manner. • There is a risk that increasing tuition fees up to £9000 and interest rates on student debt will deter students from both poorer and middle income backgrounds, and also deter students from postgraduate study. This will be exacerbated by the ending of the Educational Maintenance Allowance and the decision to scrap the AimHigher scheme. The proposals will lead to a narrowing rather than a broadening of access to Further and Higher Education and a limiting of opportunities for people in British society."