THE MAXIMUM university tuition fee in Wales will remain at £9,000, with £26m of government investment to support students and universities over the next two years
The Welsh Government claims the policy change, which follows an announcement that the Welsh Government was to RAISE tuition fees, is part of a plan aimed at securing a stable, progressive and sustainable funding system, whilst also responding to the many unscheduled changes announced in England.
The Education Secretary has also confirmed an increase in the repayment threshold for undergraduate loans from £21,000 to £25,000, subject to the successful conclusion of discussions with Her Majesty’s Treasury.
Kirsty Williams said: “I will not allow the political turmoil and uncertainty in England to knock us off course from delivering on a stable and sustainable higher education system in Wales.
“Our sector does not operate in isolation and we must provide stability for our institutions to compete both domestically and internationally.
“Given the uncertain political climate in England I have carefully considered our future plans for tuition fee levels. After consulting with our Universities and the National Union of Students, the maximum tuition fee will remain at £9,000. We are also on track to deliver the most equitable and progressive student support system in the UK, starting next academic year.
“Unlike the Government across the border, we are delivering investment to support both students and universities as part of these changes.
“I also remain concerned about the rate of interest charged to students whilst they study and I will continue to discuss this with counterparts in Whitehall.”
Ms Williams revealed the policy change before a meeting of the Welsh Assembly’s Education Committee and the announcement drew grudging approval from Conservative AM Darren Millar, who said he thought Ms Williams should have taken the step to freeze tuition fees earlier. Llyr Gruffydd praised the move, which he described as ‘a significant victory for Plaid Cymru and others who campaigned against the tuition fees hike’.
A statement from Universities Wales said: ‘The past few weeks have seen tuition fee reform high on the agenda in Westminster, with the Prime Minister announcing a ‘major review’ of student finance and university funding in England. Clearly any changes announced in England are beyond the control of the Welsh Government which puts the Cabinet Secretary in a difficult position’.
Universities Wales chair Professor Julie Lydon said: “The £10m additional funding allocated through the budget is very welcome and we value the continued positive approach taken by the Cabinet Secretary to work with the sector to find a solution for the 19/20 financial year to mitigate the short-term implications of this decision.”
“At a time when our universities have been working to plan long-term for a sustainable funding model through Diamond, this commitment by the Welsh Government to find a solution will enable our universities to continue to deliver a comparable student experience to that available in better funded institutions across the border.
“The additional £5million in 18/19 for Postgraduate study is a welcome injection of funding for student support which will bring Wales in line with English funding for Postgraduate study, and ensure Wales continues to deliver world-leading research, however this must be accompanied by investment in our institutions, for this excellence to be realised.”
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