a brief background to the college's fundraising campaign:

in recent years there has been a progressive decline in state funding for higher education. at the same time the cost of providing education has increased dramatically: a cost borne both by the college (from its endowment) and by individual students.  there is now a significant - and widening - funding gap between what it costs magdalene to educate and to care for its students and the means the state provides for us to do so.

the new university "top up" fee does little to address this issue: it increases the cost of education to the individual but brings no additional funding to the colleges.  equally, alongside the decline in state funding has come an increase in government intervention in the affairs of the colleges and of the university. for these reasons, the independence of colleges and universities and their traditional freedoms are under threat as never before.  only by achieving financial autonomy (in order properly to finance ourselves and to provide support for our students from our own resources) can magdalene counter these threats.

any questions prospective donors may have about the magdalene campaign should be addressed to dr mark billinge who will be pleased to respond.

correctives to some commonly held misconceptions about the college's finances and our fundraising campaign can be found here; whilst a brief guide to the campaign (including the different target funds for which we are seeking support) can be downloaded here