Government to ‘crack down’ on ‘rip-off’ university courses – which ones could be at risk?
The government has said it wants there to be a cap on the number of students who study so-called “rip-off” university degrees.
The limits will be imposed on courses that have high dropout rates or a low proportion of graduates getting a professional job.
Under the measures, the maximum fee that can be charged for classroom-based foundation year courses will also be reduced to £5,760 – down from £9,250.
The plans, announced by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, are part of the government’s response to the Augar review, established by Theresa May back in 2017.
Among the report’s recommendations – which also included cutting tuition fees and more funding for further education – was an aim to reduce the number of “low value” courses leaving students with poor job prospects.
Under the plans, the Office for Students (OfS) will be asked to limit the number of students universities can recruit to courses that are seen to fail to deliver good outcomes for graduates.
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Students take universities to court
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world and studying for a degree can be immensely rewarding.
“But too many young people are being sold a false dream and end up doing a poor quality course at the taxpayers’ expense that doesn’t offer the prospect of a decent job at the end of it.
“That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses, while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision.
“This will help more young people to choose the path that is right to help them reach their potential and grow our economy.”
But opposition MPs said the measures amounted to a “cap on aspiration” that will restrict choice for young people.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the plans were “simply an attack on the aspirations of young people and their families by a government that wants to reinforce the class ceiling, not smash it”.
Read more:
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Gillian Keegan
Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, accused the prime minister of being “so out of ideas that he’s dug up a new version of a policy the Conservatives have announced and then unannounced twice over”.
She added: “Universities don’t want this. It’s a cap on aspiration, making it harder for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to go on to further study.”
But Sir Philip Augar, the former chair of the Post-18 Education and Funding Review, welcomed the policy.
He told Sky News that while the OfS already has the power to issue fines and regulations on universities and courses that underperform, the plan announced today “puts a bit of teeth into it and it means that they can actually restrict the numbers recruited onto those courses”.
He added: “I’m hoping that there’s a kind of a constructive look at this and that it’s a stick that’s out here that never actually has to be used.”
Susan Lapworth, the chief executive of OfS, said: “Students from all backgrounds are entitled to expect high-quality teaching on courses that lead to successful outcomes after graduation.
“We know that many universities and colleges consistently deliver that for their students.
“But where that’s not the case it’s important that the OfS, as the independent regulator of higher education in England, can intervene to protect the interests of students and taxpayers.
“We look forward to continuing our work on these important issues.”
The evolving relationship between Bitcoin and traditional financial markets is under renewed pressure as global investors flee risk assets amid intensifying US trade tensions.
US-listed spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their fourth consecutive day of outflows on April 8, with more than $326 million in net redemptions across products, according to data from Farside Investors.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) saw the largest sell-off of over $252 million, its biggest daily outflow since Feb. 26.
Bitcoin ETF flows, US dollars, millions. Source: Farside Investors
The selling pressure follows US President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping reciprocal import tariffs, which triggered a historic $5 trillion wipeout in the S&P 500 over two days.
Related: Bitcoin may rival gold as inflation hedge over next decade — Adam Back
The delayed crypto market turbulence after the tariff-related sell-off in traditional markets highlights Bitcoin’s “evolving relationship with traditional markets,” according to Lennix Lai, global chief commercial officer at OKX exchange.
Lai told Cointelegraph:
“While falling 26% since January’s inauguration, Bitcoin’s relative resilience in the first two days following the tariff announcement — dropping 6% compared to Nasdaq’s 11% decline — suggests a nuanced dynamic emerging between crypto and conventional assets.”
Bitcoin initially remained firmly above the $82,000 support level but plummeted below $75,000 on Sunday, April 6.
BTC/USD, 1-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro
Some industry leaders attributed Sunday’s sell-off to Bitcoin’s 24/7 liquidity mechanics, which made BTC the only large liquid asset available for de-risking over the weekend.
Related: Bitcoin price can hit $250K in 2025 if Fed shifts to QE: Arthur Hayes
Bitcoin remains tied to global liquidity conditions
While there is an “encouraging sign” of a weakening correlation between Bitcoin and equities, Bitcoin’s price trajectory remains tied to global liquidity conditions, Lai said, adding:
“Though I see early signs of divergence, I believe Bitcoin remains fundamentally tied to global liquidity conditions, warranting caution amid potential market stresses — whilst gold remains as a hedge against geopolitical instability.”
“What’s most significant here isn’t just price action but Bitcoin’s growing conceptual influence — people increasingly view it as a valid strategic reserve asset for diversification in chaotic traditional markets,” Lai added.
Other analysts also see the growing money supply as Bitcoin’s main catalyst.
“Bitcoin trades solely based on the market expectation for the future supply of fiat,” according to Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and chief investment officer of Maelstrom.
Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23 – 29
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has warned that crypto will increasingly threaten traditional financial markets’ stability as the industry grows and becomes more entwined with traditional finance players.
“We cannot rule out that future sharp drops in crypto prices could have knock-on effects on our financial system,” ESMA’s executive director Natasha Cazenave said in an April 8 statement to the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
Cazenave noted, however, that crypto currently only accounts for 1% of global financial assets and is not yet significant enough to cause major “spillover effects” into traditional financial markets.
She warned that interconnections between crypto and traditional markets are rapidly growing — particularly in the more crypto-friendly US — and called for closer monitoring.
“Crypto-assets markets evolve quickly, in an often unpredictable manner, and we need to keep a close eye on these developments,” Cazenave said, adding:
“Turmoil, even in small markets, can originate or catalyze broader stability issues in our financial system.”
Cazenave’s concerns ranged from spot crypto exchange-traded funds and stablecoin use to hacks, scams and scandals — highlighting the recent $1.4 billion Bybit exploit and FTX’s collapse in November 2022.
Today in the ECON Committee, the role of crypto assets in relation to financial market stability was discussed. The European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) were present.
I raised a critical question about the digital euro.… pic.twitter.com/KST7FRBhFF
— Engin Eroglu (@EnginEroglu_FW) April 8, 2025
The European Union has already implemented several measures to safeguard against crypto risks, most notably the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation that was rolled out last year.
While Cazenave said MiCA marked a “breakthrough” for crypto regulation, she added that there is “no such thing as a safe crypto-asset” and that more rules may need to be implemented to mitigate future risks.
Related: EU could fine Elon Musk’s X $1B over illicit content, disinformation
Her comments come as both crypto and the stock markets have experienced double-digit falls over the last few weeks as the Trump administration continues to follow through on its tariff plans.
Europe lags US in crypto adoption
While crypto adoption has accelerated in the US, Cazenave noted that over 95% of European banks remain on the sidelines, with no involvement in crypto-related activities.
However, retail participation is on the rise, with an estimated 10% to 20% of European investors having crypto exposure, which is in line with growing global interest, Cazenave said.
Most reports measuring US crypto adoption suggest that the range of adoption is between 15% and 28% of the population.
Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has been granted final court approval to settle a class-action lawsuit for $11 million with Astrals non-fungible token (NFT) buyers.
Florida federal court judge Federico Moreno granted approval of the settlement between O’Neal and the class group led by Daniel Harper in an April 1 order made available on April 8.
The deal created a fund of up to $11 million for eligible class members and awarded $2.9 million in attorney fees and costs. All those who purchased Astrals NFTs from May 2022 to Jan. 15 and those who purchased the project’s native GLXY tokens up until mid-January are eligible.
“The fee sought by lead class counsel has been reviewed and approved as fair and reasonable by plaintiffs,” Moreno’s order read.
O’Neal was hit with the lawsuit in May 2023 over his founding and promotion of the Solana-based Astrals NFT project, which the suit claimed was an “offer and sale of unregistered securities.”
The class group said they bought Astrals NFTs and “suffered investment losses” due to O’Neal’s “conduct” in promoting the project.
In August, Judge Moreno recognized that the class suit had alleged that the former NBA player was a seller of the NFTs. O’Neal agreed to the settlement in November.
Screenshot from court order on final settlement. Source: Courtlistener
NFT sales slump
The Astrals NFT collection consisted of 10,000 unique 3D digital collectibles created in April 2022 by the artist Damien Guimoneau in a Solana-based project that promoted a virtual world where users could socialize and play with others, including the basketball star.
Related: NFT sales plunge 63% in Q1, but Pudgy Penguins, Doodles buck trend
There has been no activity or sales from the collection for the past two years, according to NFT marketplace OpenSea.
Overall, NFT sales are still in deep bear market territory, with just $27 million sold as of April 7, down from more than $2 billion per week at the end of 2021, according to CryptoSlam.
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