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Private School Students Fear Cancellation
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38% of the privately educated and 24% of state pupils fear cancellation
University students who went to private school are more likely to fear being 'cancelled' for their views than their state-educated peers, a survey of 10,065 UK undergraduates has found.
The Student Academic Experience Survey 2026, published on 11 June by the Higher Education Policy Institute and the charity Advance HE, found one in 10 students feels uncomfortable expressing views on campus.
Of those students, 38% of the privately educated said they held back because they feared being cancelled. Among state-educated students the figure was 24%, The Telegraph reported. Being cancelled means facing heavy criticism or being frozen out, often on social media, for a view others deem unacceptable.
Most students now have to do paid work even in term time.
Charlotte Armstrong, HEPI's policy manager, told a briefing: 'One possibility is that students who have been to a private school may have just had less opportunity to interact with a broader part of society, make those mistakes and see that the consequences are not as scary as they think they are.'
Fines of up to £500,000 for universities that fail on free speech
A new complaints route under the 2023 campus free speech law will let staff, external speakers, and non-students in England complain to the Office for Students from 1 September 2026, BBC News reported. From 1 April 2027, universities that fail to protect lawful speech can be fined up to £500,000 or 2% of income, whichever is higher, House of Commons Library analysis shows. Students will continue to complain through the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.
Value for money hits a 13-year high
Some 45% of students rated their course good or very good value for money, up from 37% in 2025 and the highest level since 2013. Teaching quality was the main driver, and the improvement held across different student groups. The rise came despite tuition fees increasing to £9,535 and job cuts across the sector. The Russell Group called the findings a 'vote of confidence' in universities.
Two in three students now work through term
Some 65% of students did paid work during term time this year, down slightly from 68% in 2025 but well above the 56% recorded in 2024. Those in work averaged around 14 hours a week. The authors called term-time work 'the norm rather than the exception'.
Nick Hillman, HEPI's director, said: 'Higher education is profoundly different from when most policymakers attended universities, so it is vital they understand, for example, that most students now have to do paid work even in term time.'
