Red wall Tories called for a dramatic reduction in student numbers to stop taxpayers forking out billions to prop up “mickey mouse” degrees.
Pupils with bad grades should be banned from taking out state-backed loans so the money can fund a huge expansion in apprenticeships instead, the New Conservatives group recommended.
It said the expansion of higher education has led to “rip-off” universities that are “notorious for pumping out graduates brainwashed” by leftwing ideology.
The report, written by MPs Jonathan Gullis, a former teacher, and Lia Nici, said: “There is a common misconception that young people have the right to attend university – but they do not have the right to study “Mickey Mouse” courses at the taxpayer’s expense.
“Young people receive 14 years of publicly funded education – anything on top of this is a luxury, not a right.
“There are many benefits to be gained from education, but when it is the taxpayer footing the bill then education should be about helping people to enter the workforce and establish their careers, in turn contributing to the wider society.“
Teenagers who fail maths and English or get three Es at A-level would not be funded by taxpayers under the recommendations.
It said student numbers would be cut by up to 15 percent, which would free up billions to create German-style vocational training. Student loans are granted without any minimum grade requirement.
The report warns that low achieving pupils tend to undertake poorer quality degrees that do not lead to graduate-level salaries and means loans are not repaid.
MPs called for a minimum £45 a month repayment floor to be set for graduates who do not meet the current salary threshold, with an exemption for NHS workers.
The change would raise about £1.8 billion a year.
At the end of March 2023, the value of outstanding loans reached £206 billion and is expected to reach around £460 billion by the mid-2040s.
Figures from 2018 show a stark difference between university funding and vocational training, with £8 billion on 1.2 million undergraduates but only £2.3 billion on 2.2 million Further Education students.
The New Conservatives, a group of 30 MPs from the 2017 and 2019 intakes, said universities are “taking advantage” of the hopes and aspirations of students who will not benefit from the university system.
They also criticise the “woke” bias of institutions that “have drifted away from a mission to produce graduates who think critically”.
The report states: “The overexpansion of university education by Tony Blair and New Labour has left too many young people in debt, without the skills needed to secure well-paying careers.
“At the same time, investment in high-skilled trades has dropped, leading to an over-reliance on cheap immigration from abroad to meet an ever-expanding list of job shortages.
“As the Party that values hard work and aspiration, we need to reverse this trend and invest in local talent that matches labour market demands.”
