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A number of English universities are thinking about reducing their 2012 tuition fees following changes to Higher Education policy. The Office of Fair Access (Offa) revealed that around 12 institutions are looking to cut their fees from the maximum £9,000 to less than £7,500 per year.

The majority of English universities revealed earlier in the year that they will begin to charge the maximum £9,000 per year for courses starting in 2012 onwards. However, in an attempt to reduce this number, the government announced plans which benefit universities charging yearly fees of less than £7,500.

In its White Paper released in June, the government detailed how 20,000 students will be held back from across English universities. Any institution that charges average yearly fees of less than £7,500 will then be able to bid for these places.

Cutting EU Student Fees

Since this announcement, Offa, which makes sure universities provide enough opportunities for poorer students, have revealed that at least a dozen institutions have asked for advice about reducing their fees. The identity of these universities is unknown, but a spokesman from Offa said that the majority were currently planning to charge only just over the watershed £7,500 amount.

The biggest event in the rugby calendar started today in New Zealand, with the opening ceremony and match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The event pits the best international rugby teams against each other every four years.

New Zealand's Hopes

Unlike the football world cup, the rugby version is relatively new, this being only the seventh time it has been held. The first was also held in New Zealand in 1987, and was won by the hosts- a feat the ‘All Blacks' (the New Zealand team's nickname) have failed to repeat yet. However, they are hoping that this could be their year, as they have started the tournament as strong favourites, and are currently cruising to victory in their first match, against Tonga.

Even if the New Zealand team disappoints, the tournament will still be a huge occasion for the country. With 95,000 overseas visitors expected to turn up in the next seven weeks, it is the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand.

Valeria Puig is a young filmmaker from Uruguay who studied in the UK and is currently working in London. In her third video blog of the series,  she describes a film she shot in 2008:

Yes, I realize that foreign students come in all shapes and colours (literally). However, I think there is no better way to explain what it feels like to study in England than to give you a glimpse of the things I would do on any given day. Do bear in mind that one of the things I've enjoyed most about my time here is the lack of routine. London is such a dynamic place to live in (and Europe is such a great continent to explore) I have the luxury to fill each day with new surprises.

Mornings

In the morning I am usually awakened by little kids laughing, shouting and singing right outside my studio, which is conveniently located next to a primary school. During the academic year, I would take the underground train to school and eat lunch there between lectures.This was a great time to catch up with classmates or readings, or attend one of the lunch concerts offered at LSE. During the two or three days I did not have class, I would dedicate my mornings to my part-time job.

Afternoons

Most afternoons I would finish class and get back home as early as possible before rush-hour traffic made the train journey unbearable. Sometimes I preferred walking, always amazed to see the hoards of Londoners that hit Oxford Street stores after work. And sometimes I preferred taking an iconic, if slow, double-decker bus- the best place to read a good book.

The latest world university league tables have been announced, with a British university topping the rankings for the second year running.                                                                                                                                                       __________________________________

Cambridge University has beaten off Harvard for the second year in succession to claim the coveted top spot in one of the major international university league tables. There were also three other UK universities in the top ten, with US institutions making up the other six spots.

The annual rankings are released by international Higher Education research company QS and are based on a number of different factors. Institutions are ranked on academic reputation, graduate employability, research, staff-student ratio and how international the faculty and student body is.