At the end of May, the new government announced £6.2 billion in budget cuts for 2010, with more efforts at financial responsibility still to come. The cutback in public spending comes in response to the government’s plan to get rid of most UK infrastructure debt within five years. This sounds all well and good, but with some economists saying that government departments will experience cuts up to 20 per cent, what does this mean for university students in the UK?

The answer seems uncertain, although BBC financial guru Robert Peston did offer some good news for students in certain programmes. “One area regarded as strategically important for the UK's long term economic prospects, support for science, will be largely protected,” said Peston on Radio 4. Apparently, as speculation swirls about the future of universities on lower budgets, students in “strategic” degrees such as chemistry and engineering will be less likely to see such cuts.

In any case, with the higher education budget being cut by £200 million, it seems apparent that students outside of liberal arts are more likely to receive financial support in the form of institutions and programmes. In the last year, universities in the UK have created 10,000 extra places for students in science, maths, technology, and engineering courses. This is not to say that other major programmes are not still readily supported, but in a time of economic uncertainty Peston’s reassurances concerning some courses is refreshing and informative.