UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 27 FEBRUARY 2015
Ed Miliband’s pledge to reduce tuition fees to £6,000 a year could be good for young people but will only work if a future government follows through on fully funding the shortfall, our Vice-Chancellor said today.
Professor Cliff Allan said: “Labour's proposals will result in future students having less debt at the end of their studies, and we welcome their plans to bridge the gap in funding required to support universities as tuition fees reduce. The extra £3.1 billion in funding grant per year to universities will allow us and other universities to continue to deliver a high quality, world-leading experience for students.
"As always, there are catches with such proposals including the extent to which a Labour Government could continue such a funding commitment over the five years of a Parliament with all of the potential uncertainties over that period, and the extent to which future student numbers may need to be controlled to afford such proposals.”
In a speech in Leeds, Ed Miliband said fees would be cut by autumn 2016, and promised universities an extra £2.7 billion a year. He also pledged to boost the Education Maintenance Allowance by £400 a year.
A Labour government would offset the move by reducing tax relief on pensions for those earning over £150,000 per year.
Miliband said average student debt stands at £44,000 and described the coalition government’s student fees policy as "one of the most expensive broken promises in the history of British politics."