Following Education Minister Jane Hutt’s announcement on the future of HE funding in Wales, NUS Wales is happy to report that the Welsh Assembly has agreed to take on board most of NUS’ Wales 10 point funding plan. As a result, more help will be offered to students from lower income backgrounds.
The team has also been invited to participate in the drafting of the new National Bursary Framework, which will oversee HE funding in Wales. Its 10 point plan to remodel student finance included, a National Bursary Scheme,
more cash to those on low incomes and grants and loans that are better than England - a made in Wales approach that stimulates participation in Welsh HE.
Level playing field
At the moment students from Wales studying in Wales receive a grant of £1,940 regardless of their background. The plans mean that more students will be able to access higher education and there will be a "level playing field for all Welsh students, wherever they study". £44m will be redirected towards increasing the assembly learning grant, a means-tested grant to help students' with their living costs, from £2,906 to £5,000.
The family income threshold will rise by £10,000 to ensure that Welsh undergraduates are not worse off than those in England. The Minister also announced plans to write off student loan debts of up to £1,500 from 2010 along with a scheme to encourage graduates to work in Wales. Ms Hutt said that by 2015 higher education institutions in Wales would be receiving an extra £31m a year, including funding for bursaries and scholarships. Current students will continue to be entitled to the tuition fee grant until they finish their studies.
Support for part-time students
Ben Gray, President of NUS Wales, said: "We broadly support the proposals and look forward to working with the Assembly on fleshing out the details. We would welcome more information on support for part-time students and in relation to hidden costs.
"At the same time, we will continue to fight to retain a cap on tuition fees at Westminster. We are pleased with the Government of Wales’s announcement for a progressive and socially inclusive funding system. We will continue to call for a funding framework both transparent and accountable to the public.
"The Welsh Assembly Government needs to be able to set the priorities for Higher Education, taking into account the specific needs of Wales in terms of student support, priority subjects, and employment skills provision to promote a more diverse Higher Education sector and contribute positively to the future of Wales’s economy, society and culture."