UCU: Keep the profit-motive out of higher education

Motion

Motion text: Conference believes privately-owned subcontractor ‘delivery partners’ and recruitment ‘agents’ in the teaching ‘franchising’ system, have motivations to maximise profit; inappropriately encouraging student enrolment and debt.
Conference resolves UCU
1. Lobby governments for:
a. Subcontracted teaching delivery partners and student recruitment agents’ receipt of Income derived from tuition fees to be limited to use-cases that lead partner HEIs cannot reasonably meet directly, preferably under not-for-profit governance structures
b. Strengthened oversight of franchising, going beyond the Secretary of State’s letter to HE providers (9th December 2025)
c. Re-evaluation of mechanisms allowing receipt of maintenance loans without tuition loans
2. Via the Trades Union Congress (TUC):
i. Campaign for the profit-motive’s exclusion from publicly-funded HE
ii. Support UnionLearn to develop actions and materials on the risks of inappropriate franchising and student recruitment agents, addressing Union Learning Reps, employers, and potential students.
3. Produce materials for UCU branches to bring to trades councils.