On 12 March the UK Minister for Universities and Science Sam Gyimah has launched a new tool through which universities will be rated either gold, silver or bronze by subject according to the quality of their teaching, learning environment and graduate outcomes. 

This initiative aims to deepen the TEF to subject level, in order to enable prospective students to better choose their university education, based on a much more detailed comparison of the different courses across institutions. The framework will be designed also based on the outcomes of a 10-week public consultation, launched by the UK Department for Education on the same day. In the same period of time, a pilot of the scheme will be run, and it will involve 50 universities and colleges across the UK. This is considered to be another step towards the so-called "age of the students", in which the government has committed to do everything possible to make sure that students in the UK get the value from money they deserve.

Meanwhile, in the framework of the major Review of Post-18 Education and Funding launched by Theresa May last February, the appointed independent panel, run by Philip Augar, launched on 21 March a call for evidence aimed at seeking views from involved stakeholders on choice, value for money, access and skills provision. The call for evidence will run until 2 May, whereas the overall review will be concluded in early 2019. 

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