AUT attacks variable top-up fees confirmation

8 January 2004

AUT general secretary Sally Hunt has criticised the Government's insistence on introducing variable top-up fees, after the first reading of the higher education bill earlier today.

Ms Hunt said the fees would dissuade those from poor-to-middle income backgrounds from entering higher education. However, she commended ministers for making some concessions on student support.

Ms Hunt said: 'We're desperately disappointed that the Government has ignored the nation over variable top-up fees. But, we're relieved to see that it is listening to people about grants - although it does need to be far more generous. The more it can do to improve student access the better.

'The introduction of variable top-up fees will deal a catastrophic blow to the drive to persuade poor-to-middle income students to enter higher education and be hugely damaging for many less prestigious institutions.

'The proposal for variable top-up fees is still desperately unpopular, throughout the nation, particularly among Labour backbenchers.

'The only way for ministers to defuse this messy situation is for them to scrap the proposal for variable fees, increase funding for higher education and improve support for those students from poor-to-middle income backgrounds.

'The issues of university under-funding and access to higher education are profoundly important to the nation and should not be treated as a political quick-fix.

'The introduction of variable top-up fees will do nothing to solve the higher education funding crisis or the shocking under-representation of poor-to-middle income students.

'Staff at every institution want to work with students who've been awarded their place at university because of the extent of their talent, not the size of their bank balance.'