This September will be a huge step in my life and my future career. I will finally be going to university. Living away from home may be tough for some but I am relishing the prospect of newfound freedom away from the monotonous and repetitive sixth form life. Amidst the studying and intense partying, the continuing financial threat looms over every new undergraduate student. When will I run out of money? Will I be able to get a job? Students are desperate to avoid being drowned in debts and unpaid bills. So how can this be prevented?
On Friday, Labour set out plans to tackle spiralling student debt by cutting the tuition fee cap from £9,000 to £6,000 for all students, and providing additional grants for students from lower-income backgrounds. This would be a significant change from the current rate and something undergraduate students would welcome. By doing this, Labour is appealing to a large audience of prospective students. Although it won’t come into effect until 2016, its still a refreshing change to penniless students.
The Conservatives have failed to set out any plans of their own regarding the tuition fees. And it is clear why. They refuse to rule out the fact that they will raise fees yet again, loading more debt on students. In July last year, it was reported that the Conservatives are actively considering proposals to allow universities to raise fees above the £9,000-a-year threshold. This further adds to the long list of broken promises made by Cameron when taking over in 2010. You might think a £3,000 cut of fees isn’t much but its certainly a step in the right direction. In the long term, it’s reducing the risk of not being able to pay off the debts.
The system needs to be changed so that everyone going to university can access enough money in a way that doesn’t leave them with un-payable levels of debt.Everyone should be allowed to access the highest level of maintenance loan. Despite the grinding burden of debt being imposed on a new generation of students, the government have finally lost the battle against revolting students. There are virtually no good arguments left for the current system. They’ve managed to cost the government money, and create mass student indebtedness at the same time. The current loan policy in particular is a ticking time bomb.
It may seem a tough ask, but the cut of fees may eventually lead to fees being abolished altogether. Claims that this country somehow cannot afford free higher education are because the government can’t afford to not have that constant income from students around the country. It’s ridiculous to pretend that Scotland and Ireland can afford free universities, but somehow England can’t.
It is clear that a policy such as this is directly targeted at the younger 18-24 aged voters. Labour is introducing these ideas as a ways of encouraging new voters to the party. However, there is no guarantee that the promise of a cut in tuition fees will mobilise a student vote drawn to Labour. In a poll, 17% of 18-24-year-olds said they would vote Green. Under a Green government there would be no student loans as there would be no tuition fees and living costs would be met by Citizen’s Income. This is the action that current students want to see. So perhaps Green party should get lots of votes? Either way we now know that if people vote Conservative or Lib Dem in May and wake up to see tuition fees over and above £15,000, we shouldn’t be surprised.
Words by Bill Edgar