By Paul Dicken in Cardiff
The National Union of Students Wales has welcomed the Assembly Government’s plans to phase out the tuition fees grant in favour of increased maintenance grants for students from low-income families.
The government announced on March 18 that the tuition fees grant, which is paid only to Welsh students studying in Wales, would come to an end in 2010/11. In its stead, £44m will be reinvested in an increased general grant for students from the lowest income households. There will also be an increase in the household income threshold that entitles students to partial learning grants.
The controversial decision means Welsh students will pay the full cost of tuition fees from 2010/11.
The president of NUS Wales, Ben Gray, said the changes were ‘progressive and socially inclusive’ but that the NUS would continue to fight to retain a cap on tuition fees at Westminster.
Other measures include plans to write off up to £1,500 of student loan debt for those forced to take out a maintenance loan in 2010/11 due to the additional burden of top-up fees.
Education Minister Jane Hutt told AMs: ‘The remodelled scheme will provide substantial additional resources for Welsh higher education, amounting to over £31m each year by 2015/16.’
The policy change by the One Wales coalition government caused some internal conflict for coalition partner Plaid Cymru. Plaid MP Adam Price said he was deeply disappointed by the decision, which was based on misleading information.
The MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr said the tuition fees grant had helped achieve a WAG target of increasing the number of Welsh students studying at Welsh universities.
Tory education spokesman Paul Davies attacked Welsh ministers for failing to fund education properly. They had allowed a significant funding gap to develop between Wales and other parts of the UK, he said.
‘We are concerned that, unless it is addressed urgently, money could become a barrier to learning in Wales.'
