Expenditure
17. Precise figures for public expenditure on higher education are not available because of such factors as the lack of information about the split between expenditure on advanced and non-advanced provision in the maintained sector. But for present purposes some rough estimates of recurrent expenditure have been made, based on 1976/77 out-turn data, as follows:
Table 4: Recurrent expenditure on higher education in Great Britain
1976/77 (1977 Survey prices)
£ millions
Universities1
660
Other institutions2
304
Mandatory awards
312
Discretionary awards
29
Postgraduate awards
31
1336
1
2
Universities on UGC Grant List and other university institutions (eg Royal College of Art, Open University, etc.)
Institutions maintained by LEAs and other institutions in receipt of central
government grant.
This total represents about 18% of all recurrent expenditure in 1976/77 by the Department of Education & Science, the Scottish Education Department and the Welsh Office.
18. Figures for capital expenditure on higher education are subject to much the same limitations as those for recurrent expenditure. But, again on the basis of a rough estimate made for present purposes, capital expenditure on higher education in 1976/77 is estimated to have been £154 million at 1977 Survey prices.
19. More detailed computations of unit costs suggest an across-the-board average net annual cost per student/place in higher education of about £2,750 at 1977 Survey prices (including an allowance for capital). For young home entrants, it is necessary to add £750 in respect of maintenance grant (see above), giving a total of about £3,500. However, at least at some institutions, the marginal unit costs of taking on additional students might be less than overall average unit costs.