ALMOST 80 per cent of Bournemouth University’s income came from tuition fees last year, meaning it could be hard hit by a predicted drop in student numbers due to coronavirus.

The University and College Union has criticised a package of government support for the sector, after it warned of a £2.5 billion funding “black hole” caused by a collapse in student intake due to Covid-19.

Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows 79 per cent of Bournemouth University’s revenue was from tuition fees in 2018-19 – equal to £127.1 million.

At the Arts University, Bournemouth (AUB) the figure is 76 per cent, roughly £32.5 million.

Both were much higher than the average of 49 per cent across all institutions.

A report for UCU, conducted by London Economics, warns an estimated 62,000 jobs are at risk at universities and throughout the wider economy, with a potential cost to the country of more than £6 billion.

The Government has pledged to bring forward £2.6 billion in tuition fees that universities would have received later in the year, and £100m of research funding.

But providers will face a cap on the number of full-time undergraduate UK and EU students they can recruit for 2020-21 – set at an extra five per cent on top of the number they had already forecast they would admit – to prevent a race to the bottom among institutions looking to boost funding by swelling their ranks.

The report predicts around 60 per cent of the £2.5 billion loss for the 2020-21 academic year will come from a drop in numbers of international students, who can pay up to three times the £9,250 annual fees charged to those from the UK.

However, only 12 per cent of Bournemouth University’s tuition fee income and 14 per cent of AUB's fee income came from non-EU students in 2018-19, according to the HESA figures – well below the average of 29 per cent across all institutions.

A spokesman for Bournemouth University said: "“The current pandemic is creating financial uncertainty for all organisations, and higher education is no different. The Government has announced some measures to support the HE sector.

"Additionally, the Office for Students has confirmed that student funding payments will continue to be made, and has announced further funding options for universities to give more certainty through this period. As with any organisation, we are managing our finances closely and making reasonable financial decisions as we go.

"BU continues to operate online through this period and our applications for the next academic year remain positive at this time. We are looking forward to welcoming new students to the university and our returning students as soon as we are able to."