Could apprenticeships replace them? British universities, once the finest in the world, are now teetering on the brink. Some think we are in need of a radical new way of learning.
Universities face the end of an era
Up and up: Tuition fees were first introduced in England in 1998. Today, there are nearly 1.8 million people who have at least £50,000 of student debt. Glossary
UCAS - Short for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Students applying for higher education in the UK apply through UCAS.
Apprenticeship - When someone learns the skills they need for a job whilst working and being paid.
Pledge - A promise to do something.
Noble - Having honourable or moral goals.
Tuition fees - When students pay universities to study there.
Bankruptcy - When a person or group has no money left and cannot pay off their debts.
Salaries - The money people earn for doing their jobs.
Elite - The richest, most powerful, best-educated or best-trained members of society.
Class prejudice - When people look down upon or discriminate against others due to their social class.