Conservative & Labour

Liberal Democrats

Labour, like the Conservatives say they want more students, but will not reveal how they will fund the higher education system to maintain standards.

Since being elected to government, Labour has already decided to make students pay an extra £1,000 pounds towards their tuition fees, discouraging students from entering higher education.

(CONSERVATIVE + LABOUR) x STUDENT FEES =

CHAOS FOR STUDENTS

• Ensure education throughout life by expanding further and higher education, and by making it easier for adults to study.
• Provide funding of fees for adult learners, starting with the long term unemployed, single parents and people with disabilities.
• A target of increasing the present number of students in higher education to two million.
• The funding of fees and maintenance for part-time students.
• Substantial investment in open Learning technologies.
• A more flexible system of study, based on modular courses and a Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) with two year diplomas, three year ordinary and four year honours degrees.
• Restoration of student benefit entitlement.
• Tuition fees for overseas students to be the same as for home students.
• An increase in the number of awards and scholarships, focusing on the needs of developing countries.
• Rejection of the Governments 'top-up' loans scheme, the abolition of the parental contribution and their replacement with a student Income Entitlement and a Student allowance to be paid to all students through the social security system.