With the Browne Review due to report after the General Election the political parties are quite happy to defer debates on this issue. In light of the spending cuts ahead whoever wins the election will have to make some crucial decisions about the future of higher education. Tuition fees, the numbers of students going to university, the amount of student financial support available will be key areas of interest for potential students and their families.
The parties have made relatively few commitments on this issue which is why we are attempting to influence individual parliamentary candidates by signing them up to the pledge. This is what they have said so far….
Conservatives
Create 10,000 extra university places in 2010; Introduce an early repayment bonus on student loans; Offer a fairer deal for part-time and mature students; Create a clearer pathway from vocational routes into further and higher education; working on a website to provide people with much better information about the true costs and benefits of going to university and help people choose the course and institution which is right for them.
Labour
Consider ways to widen access to universities, while retaining tuition fees; create 20,000 extra undergraduate university places in 2010-11; introduce a renewable "licence to teach" for teachers.
Liberal Democrats
Increase the apprenticeship numbers, and places on university and vocational higher education courses; scrap university tuition fees over six years.
A comparison of the parties manifesto policies for Business, Innovation and Higher Education can be found here.
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NUS does not support or endorse any political party or candidate who are running on a wide range of issues. NUS does not take responsibility for the accuracy of information on this page. The information was obtained through the individual political parties websites.