UCU comment on possible changes to student loans

Commenting on proposals to change the way student loans are collected, UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Politicians should be prioritising ways to make it easier for people to afford university, not trying to squeeze even more money out of students.

'The new system of £9,000 fees is unsustainable, costly for students and bad value for the taxpayer and all parties need to look seriously at student funding. However, they need to consider better options than simply penalising students.

'The coalition's record on higher education is quite shambolic. From Lib Dem u-turns, to £9,000 fees and an investigation into poor standards at for-profit colleges accessing millions of pounds of taxpayers' money, students have been let down at every turn.'