Why are many university leaders still receiving pay increases?

Analysis: As many bosses at elite universities continue to take home hefty six-figure salaries, Eleanor Busby looks at why academics and students alike feel that vice-chancellors are ‘out of touch’

Almost half of vice-chancellors at Britain’s elite universities were handed larger pay packets in 2018-19 (PA)

The salaries and benefits that university leaders receive have been in the spotlight for years, especially since tuition fees rose to a staggering £9,250 a year.

Increasingly, undergraduates expect money to be spent on their courses, teachers and the wider student experience, rather than on the pay of senior staff.

The recent university strikes have intensified existing tensions between students, staff and vice-chancellors.