Ed Miliband’s promise to cut university tuition to £6,000 and to increase non-repayable maintenance grants by £400 per year to cover students’ living costs is the right approach to help students studying at University.
Nathan O’Loughlin – Youth and Student officer for Bridgwater and West Somerset Labour Party – who is currently a second year politics undergraduate at the University of Exeter has welcomed the policy.
Nathan says: “Having to pay £9,000 a year tuition fees myself, I fully support this policy under the next Labour government. I understand parents and students concerns of leaving University with £44,000 worth of debt. This government policy on tuition fees has not just betrayed students, but betrayed the public trust in politicians”.
A fair policy
Reducing tuition fees would save taxpayers £40bn by 2030 and will be fully funded by reducing tax relief on the richest pensions, higher interest rates for higher earning graduates and providing universities with an extra £2.7bn per year. The current system is adding to our national debt as £21bn a year of student loans is written off. We need to tackle the deficit in a fair way.
Lib Dems, Tories and UKIP don’t offer a fair alternative for students
Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems betrayed students by going back on their promise not to increase tuition fees and by selling us out to the Tories. They now claim our policy to reduce tuition fees is unfordable and that the current system is ‘fair’ when in the 2010 election their policy was to abolish tuition fees. You can’t trust the Lib Dems on university tuition fees. !!
As for Tories they won’t admit they want to increase tuition fees to £15,000 if they are in government in the next parliament and UKIP believe the way to tackle the cost of tuition fees is to reduce the amount of students going to Universities.
I believe the Far Right approach towards Universities is wrong. Going to University is a fantastic opportunity for people. It gives someone the opportunity to meet and work with people from different forms of backgrounds and cultures. Going to University should always be encouraged. The next Labour Government will ensure a fair tuition fee policy.