University Alliance has responded to the Secretary of State for Education’s announcement today (4 November) that tuition fees and the amount of student maintenance loan available would be increased in line with inflation.
Vanessa Wilson, CEO of University Alliance, said:
“As University Alliance, representing professional and technical universities, we welcome this commitment to the financial sustainability of the higher education sector.
“We know the decision to raise tuition fees has not been taken lightly. Yet with this backing, universities will be able to maintain their internationally-envied quality of education, so they can continue to equip young people with the skills they need to thrive and transform their lives for the better.
“It is right that this change comes hand-in-hand with increased maintenance support, and the rise in the maintenance loan is also very welcome. We know being able to afford immediate costs is a bigger stressor for students than longer-term tuition costs.
“Going forward we urge the government to prioritise reinstating means-tested maintenance grants for the students in most need. It is simply wrong that they should have to borrow more than their more privileged counterparts. The government should also look again at the student loan repayment model, so that it is rebalanced with a fairer, more progressive payment structure for lower- and middle-income graduates.”
Professor Jane Harrington, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of Greenwich, and University Alliance Chair:
“I absolutely welcome today’s announcement by the government. It is a positive first step to finding a longer-term solution to sustainably funding higher education.
“I hope that next on the agenda will be the reintroduction of maintenance grants for the students in most need. We know that the cost of living is the number one issue affecting students today.
“The uplift in the student maintenance loan will go some way towards alleviating that, but grants will be essential to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive at university.”
