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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Research vindicates Welsh Liberal Democrat stance on Tuition Fees
February 14, 2008 12:00 AM
Research that shows that tuition fees are putting poorer students off from attending university vindicates the Welsh Liberal Democrat supported policy of not imposing them on Welsh students studying in Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has said.
Research carried out by the Sutton Trust and Staffordshire University has shown that many students from poor backgrounds are being put off university because they are afraid of getting into debt. Very few of them know about bursaries or maintenance grants on offer. Nearly two-thirds of pupils who decided not to seek higher education cited anxieties about money as their reason.
"This research underlines the fact that money is affecting students' choices when it comes to education." said Mr. Black. "Money should not be a factor for those wishing to attend university. It is a life-affecting decision that should be based on the quality of education and the suitability of courses."
"When the government introduced tuition fees and top-up fees, they tried to convince us that poorer students would actually be better off due to the new bursaries available to them. But we were not convinced then and we were right not to be. Students are not aware of the bursaries available and therefore lose out on support."
"The introduction of the market into higher education has favoured the better off at the expense of the poor. It has removed the principle that education should be freely available to all and as a consequence it will have a direct impact on our economy by reducing opportunity for some of our brightest youngsters. The Government needs to rethink this policy."
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