In particular, the commission will monitor compliance with laws according to which universities, depending on their income, are obliged to provide financial assistance to poor students. It has been established that grants must be no less than 300 pounds (there is no maximum).
As stated by British Education Minister Charles Clarke, elite universities, especially Cambridge and Oxford, will be obliged to pay significantly more than the stated minimum of 300 pounds, as they have greater financial resources.
Some members of parliament, especially among Conservatives, have already spoken out against the commission's punitive sanctions, since, in their opinion, they are entirely directed against old prestigious universities of the Oxbridge level. Opposition representative, shadow cabinet minister Tim Yeo, who deals with education and health issues in the Conservative Party, protested: "With these measures, the government robs universities and hinders their attempt to implement plans for social manipulation and redistribution of income between rich and poor."