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Politics

Labour will scrap tuition fees

21 replies

SemiNormal · 10/05/2017 23:29

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-party-scrap-tuition-fees-university-win-general-election-manifesto-2017-jeremy-corbyn-a7727951.html

It's claimed that Labour will scrap tuition fees if they win the general election. Just wondered what peoples thoughts are on this?
I'm currently at University and I am happy enough to pay tuition fees, I don't expect free higher education, which essentially wouldn't be free anyway because someone would have to pay for it - surely that should be me? I feel that if it was free for all then more people would apply simply for the university experience and to avoid getting a job for longer - although perhaps I'm just being cynical?
All my fellow students on Facebook seem to be thrilled about the prospect so am I alone in thinking this is a bad idea?

OP posts:

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twelly · 10/05/2017 23:37

Scrapping tuition fees would be very costly, not sure where the money will come from. Might be better to cut numbers going to university and then review tuition fees as the numbers going to university are too large, many who go do not end up in jobs requiring a degree

SemiNormal · 10/05/2017 23:43

"Mr Corbyn said he would get rid of tuition fees by hiking either National Insurance for higher earners or corporation tax."

I agree that the number going to University is too high currently. I guess most universities are run like a business and thus they want as many people attending as possible to get the cash flowing?

OP posts:

Duchessofjam · 11/05/2017 08:48

Education is not just about getting a job, yes it is an important part but with more opportunity available you have a better educated population which can only be a good thing.

As for the costs involved education is still heavily subsidized and revenue from student fees has mostly not yet been paired back and much of it will never be paid back so in reality this policy will not really cost much to implement at all and will be well worth it in terms of cost benefit to the people of the U.K.

I myself had to pay fees at university and I will be very pleased to see this burden not placed on younger generations.

GandalfsWrinklyHat · 11/05/2017 08:49

No they won't.

alteredimages · 11/05/2017 08:53

My arse they will.

It would be great if they did make the system fairer and more accessible, but hiking national insurance and corporation tax when Brexit is already making employers reluctant to invest in new jobs here would not work.

meditrina · 11/05/2017 08:54

Won't what?

Win?

Or carry out something that is in the (probable final) version of the manifesto?

alteredimages · 11/05/2017 08:55

They are also going to keep Trident as a deterrent but helpfully Diane Abbott has announced that Corbyn will never ever use it. So great value for money there.

And I am a Labour voter, God help me.

cdtaylornats · 13/05/2017 12:04

Scotland doesn't have tuition fees unless you are non-EU or English but that means universities cap the number of local students so they can get enough fee payers to run the courses.

rogueantimatter · 13/05/2017 19:29

It won't cost £9,000 per student per year as many students will never pay back a lot of their fees under the current system.

caitlinohara · 15/05/2017 13:55

cdtaylornats so EU citizens and Scottish citizens pay no tuition fees in Scotland but English (and presumably Welsh and Northern Irish) citizens do? Is that true?

cdtaylornats · 15/05/2017 14:19

caitlin Yes that's true, although the Welsh assembly subsidises students in Scotland.

rogueantimatter · 15/05/2017 14:48

It's scandalous isn't it?

This works well for most Scottish students obviously, but they start paying back the loan from a lower threshold £17K and for 35 years. In England the threshold is £21K for 30 years.

The fees for Scottish/EU students at Scottish unis are much lower than English students but Scottish gov't pay none of their fees if they have the audacity to be talented enough to get into the best UK courses in English unis. So they are disadvantaged. The snp goes on about its free higher education but it doesn't mention the student loan system or the massive cuts to further education in Scotland.

rogueantimatter · 15/05/2017 14:53

Sorry I meant to say disadvantaged compared with English students at English unis.

pineapplesquash · 15/05/2017 15:06

Who is going to pay for this? And the NHS? And schools?

It's so easy to promise the moon on a stick. It's not possible to deliver.

cdtaylornats · 15/05/2017 22:51

As a Tory I'm a fan of Dianne Abbott - the gift that keeps on giving.

Seriously though the Labour Party has to get a grip - Parliament requires an opposition that stands a chance of being elected.

rogueantimatter · 16/05/2017 09:01

You can hardly refer to free fees as the moon on a stick when it's something we had until a few years ago.

TreeTop7 · 16/05/2017 09:46

I'd approve of abolishing tuition fees but only if the numbers of students and courses were cut. University should be for the academically strong and there should be attractive alternative options like apprenticeships for the others. I wouldn't particularly want my taxes funding pseudo-degrees. Labour's policy of getting mediocre pupils into university at all costs was a disaster, hence all these "media and communications" etc graduates. Also, appallingly, it was mainly pupils from poorer backgrounds without access to decent advice who were sold those silly degrees - that's a disgrace.

cdtaylornats · 16/05/2017 10:59

rogue - we did and the reason we had to stop was it was unsustainable.

pineapplesquash · 16/05/2017 11:03

Rogue- I mentioned three policies (of many) and I don't see how Labour can afford to deliver them all. I didn't single out one.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 16/05/2017 11:05

We need to both abolish the tuition fees and reduce the numbers going to university.

As for the interest rate for tuition fee loan payback. Why is it so high? It's criminal to charge 3% above rpi while they are actually studying.

Oliversmumsarmy · 16/05/2017 11:29

It won't cost £9,000 per student per year as many students will never pay back a lot of their fees under the current system.

I thought going to uni meant you got a better paying job. What was the point in going.

Rather than talking about raising the bar as to who goes to uni or who doesn't or schools thinking only in terms of getting pupils into uni I think a more radical approach would be through either a type of day/few days release to different types of jobs or getting them to read look at in detail what different jobs/careers involve so when pupils get to 16 have some idea of what they want to do for a living or what actually interests them.

Ds thought about many careers. I had his horoscope done when he was a baby and it said he would work with or around or on water. I didn't want to influence him so I didn't say anything.
Ds loves geography and biology. I saw him as a marine biologist. He has decided after seeing me at work and getting to know what different people do. He has decided plumbing is his direction in life.

I had a little chuckle.

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