Do you think university tuition fees should be scrapped?
According to estimates by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the average student can now leave university owing more than £50,000 and three-quarters will never pay it back.
Formally announcing a long-awaited review of post-18 education, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the level of tuition fees charged do not relate to the cost or quality of the course.
The review, which will be led by finance expert and author Philip Augar, will focus on four key questions, Mrs May said: ensuring education is accessible to all, the funding system, encouraging choice and competition and providing the skills the country needs.
Tuition fees in England were trebled in 2012, and the vast majority of courses now cost the maximum, £9,250 per year.
Mrs May insisted that it is right that students contribute to the cost of their education, but that the review, which is expected to take about a year, will look at how much they contribute, the terms of their contribution and the duration.
Shifting the burden of university tuition onto the taxpayer would mean tax increases for the majority of people who did not go to university, leave universities competing with schools and hospitals for funding and lead to the re-introduction of a cap on student numbers, Mrs May argued.
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: “This long-winded review is an unnecessary waste of time. Labour will abolish tuition fees, bring back maintenance grants and provide free, lifelong education in further education colleges.”
Ahead of the formal launch, Mrs May admitted that tuition fees are among the most expensive in the world and acknowledged the concerns of students, parents and grandparents about the levels of debt faced by graduates.
Did you go to university? What are your views on tuition fees vs student debt? Is 6% interest on student loans a reasonable rate to be chared? Do you have children or grandchildren with student debt? If you had your time again, would you pay to go to University?
