Scrap Unfair Tuition Fees

4.24.00pm GMT Mon 21st Dec 2009

The Liberal Democrats today confirmed their commitment to scrapping student tuition fees.

Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg has announced that scrapping tuition fees would remain one of the party's most important policies.

Today he set out a timetable to scrap fees, including those for part-time courses, over the six years following the General Election.

He said: "This is good news for students and for everyone who wants a fairer Britain.

"Students want to be treated like grown ups. They know money doesn't grow on trees and that big spending commitments like this are only affordable over time.

"We've developed a plan to phase out tuition fees over the course of the next six years, to ensure this vital policy is affordable even during this time of economic crisis.

"You should decide whether going to university makes sense for you and you shouldn't have to make the decision based on your bank balance.

"Labour and the Conservatives refuse to address the issue of fees and there is a real danger that both of them would lift the cap on fees which could mean even more debt for students when they leave university."

Richard Burt recently signed the National Union of Students' pledge to vote against any future rise in tuition fees and said: "This is an important step to benefit anyone in Worcestershire who would be considering university education.

"Whether you want to study locally at Worcester University or go further a field, the decision should be based on your aspirations, grades and intelligence, not the wealth of your parents.

"It's simply wrong to penalise people who want to make the best of themselves by saddling them with enormous mortgage-style debts from the day they graduate.

"My priority is making degrees affordable for people here in Worcestershire, and that means scrapping these unfair fees."