Upsets Open University, with grants being regularly cut (9)
I believe the answer is:
overturns
'upsets' is the definition.
('overturn' can be a synonym of 'upset')
'open university with grants being regularly cut' is the wordplay.
'open' becomes 'overt' ('overt' is associated in meaning with 'open'**).
'university' becomes 'u'.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'being regularly cut' means one should take alternating letters.
The alternate letters of 'grants' are 'rns'.
'overt'+'u'+'rns'='OVERTURNS'
(Other definitions for overturns that I've seen before include "Upsets" , "Upends" .)