All education, including university, was free in the UK up until 1998. Then came tuition fees, followed a few years later by top-up fees. This has meant that many of us now associate going to university with large levels of debt alongside the opportunity to earn a degree and expanding our horizons.
NUS argued that this system would:
- Negatively affect students and graduates
- Cause financial concerns to determine choices
- Frame education solely in commercial, individualist terms
- Create a two-tier education system for the rich and poor
- Hinder wider participation
- Limit social mobility
We still believe this to be the case. NUS estimates that, in 2007/08, the cost of being a student was £13,135. For those of you studying in London, it was around £15,214 (that’s an extra £2,079).
Graduate
It doesn’t get much better after you graduate. NatWest estimates that average graduate debt, for students who graduated in 2007, was £12,363 while the Push Survey 2007 suggested that current students (ie those under top-up fees) should expect to owe more than £20,000 upon graduation.
Working while studying has become the norm for many students. NUS’ Students at Work survey found that 59 per cent of working students thought that their job affected their studies, with 38 per cent missing lectures in favour of work and 21 per cent failing to submit coursework as a result of a part-time job.
NUS believes that the current higher education funding system is broken, enhances inequality, is unfair and undermines learning. As a result, we’ve been campaigning, with students of all ages and levels, on the issues of fees, funding and access for many years. We were just three votes short of stopping tuition fees from coming in and this was when the government had a majority of 170 MPs. We came this close because of support from people like you. Now that the government’s majority is much smaller, your support is vital if we’re to get the changes we all want.
Government
When top-up fees were brought in, the government promised a review of the system in 2009. NUS sees this as an opportunity to fix the broken system and create a fairer way of funding education. Opponents of NUS will use the review to push their interests and increase top-up fees from £3,070 to £10,000 per year! For the sake of current students, future students and the future of Britain’s economy, we must win in this review.
To demonstrate how the current system is failing you and to introduce our education funding campaign, NUS will be focusing on the issue of student support. If we’re to win the right to an open review in 2009, we’ll need your support, the support of other students and the wider support of the general public.