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Many 'against student fee rise'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8348365.stm
Most people are against raising university tuition fees for students in England, a survey has suggested.
A survey for the National Union of Students survey suggests only 12% of those questioned want fee increases to be considered.
At the moment, students in England pay just over £3,000 a year for almost all higher education courses.
The government will announce the terms of a review into the funding of higher education on Monday.
Ithad promised to hold a review before a decision was taken on whetheruniversities could raise fees from the present limit of £3,225 a year.
Thescope of the inquiry and the name of the person who will lead it willbe revealed in a written statement to the House of Commons.
Thereview is expected to be wide-ranging, looking at various fundingoptions, but will not be finished until after the next generalelection.
In the online poll, conducted by YouGov, 2,152 people were questioned between 3-5 November
Half of those surveyed said the review group should look at abolishing fees.
Withrecession cuts looming, all sides are keen to get their message acrossin the debate over who should pay what in higher education.
Students have been campaigning against any increase in fees and are lobbying to be represented on the review panel.
NUS President Wes Streeting said: "This poll shows that the public will not stand for a cosy stitch-up on university fees.
"Ata time of economic crisis, when many hard working families arestruggling to support their offspring through university, a hike infees is the last thing we need.
"Students are already leavinguniversity with record levels of debt and it would be totallyunacceptable to fill the panel with people who are either governmentpatsies or predisposed to higher fees.
The business communityare among those calling for students to pay more for their educationand some university vice-chancellors are reported to want to raisetuition fees to as much as £7,000 a year.
The Confederation ofBritish Industry has said students should accept higher tuition fees as"inevitable" and pay more interest on their student loans.
Earlierthis week, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson warned that the higher andfurther education sectors faced "increasingly tight fiscal constraints"and needed to raise more of their own funds.
"We will also haveto look at the contribution that individuals make to the cost of highereducation, which we will do through the independent fees review," hesaid.
University lecturers are largely lining up alongside the students.
TheUniversity and College Union (UCU) is worried that the fact that thereview will not be completed until after the next general election willallow politicians to "duck the issue".
Votes cost
UCUgeneral secretary Sally Hunt said: "The NUS findings back up our recentpoll that showed just how unpopular raising university fees would bewith the general public.
"There is little doubt in my view that a higher fees policy would cost a party valuable votes at the ballot box.
"However,that does not make it acceptable for the main parties to use thisreview as an excuse to duck the issue ahead of the election.
"Allthe parties must clearly state their fee policies to ensure thatstudents and their parents can make an informed choice at the ballotbox and add their voices to the debate on the future of universityfunding."
Students in England and Northern Ireland and non-Welsh students in Wales have to pay tuition fees of as much as £3,225 a year.
Welsh students studying in Wales pay fees of £1,285 while there are no tuition fees in Scotland. |
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