Plans to raise tuition fees in Wales scrapped
Plans to raise tuition fees in Wales have been ditched by the Welsh Government meaning they will remain at £9,000.
The U-turn comes just three months after a £295 hike was announced and means fees in Wales are now £250 less than in England where they are capped at £9,250.
Universities and student leaders welcomed the U-turn which Plaid Cymru claimed as a victory for its opposition to the plans to raise fees.
Outlining the change of plan Education Secretary Kirsty williams also announced £26m of government investment to support students and universities over the next two years.
The previously proposed rise would have meant students under a Labour administration here paying more than those over the border in England under the Whitehall Tory government.
Kirsty Williams also confirmed undergraduate loans would not have to be paid back until graduates are earning £25,000, up from the current £21,000.
She said: “I will not allow the political turmoil and uncertainty in England to knock us off course from delivering on a stable and sustainable higher education system in Wales, domestically and internationally.
“Given the uncertain political climate in England I have carefully considered our future plans for tuition fee levels. After consulting with our universities and the National Union of Students, the maximum tuition fee will remain at £9,000. We are also on track to deliver the most equitable and progressive student support system in the UK, starting next academic year.
“Unlike the Government across the border, we are delivering investment to support both students and universities as part of these changes.
“I also remain concerned about the rate of interest charged to students whilst they study and I will continue to discuss this with counterparts in Whitehall.”
She said an additional £10m will be made available to Higher Education Council For Wales to deal with any immediate issues arising from the tuition fee changes. HEFCW will also get another £6m this financial year to deal with the short-term implications of demographic change – there are falling numbers of 18-year-olds – and to prepare for the implications of Brexit.
A further £5m will be allocated to HEFCW in both 2018-19 and 2019-20 to allow institutions to provide bursaries and grants to postgraduate students, prior to full implementation of the new package of postgraduate support in 2019-20.
Plaid Cymru Shadow Education Secretary Llŷr Gruffydd said the fact that money was there all along to provide additional funds for the HEFCW showed it was a political decision, rather than a necessity, on the part of the Labour Welsh Government to introduce a hike.
“I welcome the announcement by the Education Secretary which is a significant victory for Plaid Cymru and others who campaigned against the tuition fees hike,” Mr Gruffydd said.
“We have been the only party united and consistent in our opposition to forcing students to pay more for their higher education.”
NUS Wales President Ellen Jones said: “Today’s announcement by Kirsty Williams is an incredibly positive development in the way Wales runs student funding.
“It shows that the Cabinet Secretary agrees with us that students cannot be expected to shoulder the burden of austerity.”