From 2013/14 anyone aged 24 or over will no longer be entitled to fee remission, and will have to pay the full cost of their tuition fees if they are studying at level 3 or above. In effect, for many adult learners, tuition fees will be doubled and the state contribution towards learners in adult education entirely removed.
Asking students in adult education to take on the full cost of their education is the wrong way to go. But the policy also will see apprentices having to take out huge loans in order to work. The government urgently needs to drop their plans to ask apprentices to start their careers with huge levels of debt and making them pay to go to work.
On Friday 8 February NUS, UCU, the ATL and UNISON are organising a National Constituency Lobby to oppose the policy and to campaign to make sure this policy is not applied to apprentices for 2013/2014.
What can you do?
1. Email your MP
You can email your MP in less than a minute using our template letter.
2. Set-up a meeting
Set up a meeting with your MP so that you can put this issue high up on their agenda. Email them to ask for a meeting outlining that you would like to talk to them about fees for students in further education, particularly apprentices. Make sure you have prepared your arguments and have a clear ask; “Will you put pressure on Vince Cable to drop this policy?”
3. Let us know what you’re doing
If you’ve set up a meeting with your MP on this issue then let us know so that we can create a national picture. You can let us know here.