The OxStu's focus on fees
-Variable fees of up to £3000 per year, not only differing between universities but between courses as well.
- To create the "Office for Fair Access" (OFFA) to ensure access is widened for poorer students.
- To abolish up-front fees, with all charges being paid post-graduation, and only when earnings reach £15,000 per year.
- To write off debts after 25 years.
- 50% of 18-30 year olds to be in Higher Education.
"The new bill is a coherent package to be taken as a whole , or not at all"
Charles Clarke, Labour, Secretary of State for Education and Skills
- To abolish all fees - "Labour's tax on learning."
- To scrap government targets to get 50% of 18-30 year olds into Higher Education.
- To end proposed Access Regulator for universities.
- To improve vocational and technical education.
- Not to increase taxes
- "Every student to be studying something worthwhile"
"It is bad for students, it is bad for universities and it is bad for taxpayers"
Tim Yeo, Conservative, Shadow Secretary of State for Public Services, Health, and Education
- To abolish tuition fees and top up fees.
- To re-introduce maintenance grants of up to £2000 towards living costs for students from low-income homes.
- To put more resources into the university sector to help recruit and retain good staff and improve quality of the buildings.
- To improve access to technical and vocational qualifications.
- To increase the top tax rate for those earning over £100k per year.
"[It is] pulling up the ladder of opportunity for thousands of poorer students"
Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat, "Shadow" Education and Skills secretary
- Their "Alternative Future of Higher Education"paper to be considered.
- To abolish tuition fees and top up fees.
- To introduce a non-means tested living grant.
- A review of means-testing as a whole
- To pay for Higher Education through a system of progressive taxation by raising the higher rate of income tax and creating a higher band of the tax.
"We want to show that there is a better way [to fund higher education."
Helena Puig Larrauri, President of the Oxford University Student Union
15th Jan 2004