MP calls for inquiry into 'selling of degrees'

Politicians today demanded an investigation into claims that universities are effectively "selling" places on degree courses to students from overseas.

Barry Sheerman, Labour chairman of the House of Commons education select committee, said that universities should be fined if they were discovered to be reducing the entry requirements for high-paying foreign students.

He urged Education Secretary Charles Clarke to ask the universities' funding council to investigate the claims.

"If they are found to be true, there is certainly an argument for any university doing this to be deprived of some state funding," he added.

The row follows claims in yesterday's Sunday Times - using undercover reporters posing as applicants - that Oxford, University College London, the LSE and the University of East London indicated they might offer a place to a foreign student whose grades did not match the course minimum while not making the same concession to a domestic student.

Universities receive an average of ?4,400 in government subsidies plus ?1,150 in tuition fees from each British and EU student. Foreign students pay up to double that.

"There is no justification for a decision to be taken to admit one student over another purely on the basis of money. One person's inclusion is another person's exclusion," said Mr Sheerman.

UCL vice-chancellor Professor Malcolm Grant denied overseas students were offered places on different terms from domestic students.

"We will only admit students from whatever background according to the same high criteria," he said.