Welsh students could be expected to pay tens of thousands of pounds in university fees after talks of scrapping the tuition grant have recently been announced.
Higher education is often referred to as the ‘engine of economic growth’ as it generates billions of pounds a year for the economy. This being said, all countries have different ways of charging their students for the facilities they will use during their studies.
The generous Welsh government currently subsidise the majority of tuition fees for Welsh students, although they could potentially charge up to £9,000 a year like their English counterparts.
Whilst Scottish pupils get free education at Scottish universities, English students pay around £9,000 a year wherever they choose to study. As it currently stands, Welsh pupils can apply for a Fee Grant of around £5,200 and an additional loan through Student Finance Wales of up to £3,900.
Although the Welsh government say its tuition fee policy has been a “huge success” and “an investment in young people”, Prof Colin Riordan, chairman of Universities Wales and vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, believes paying the majority of Welsh students’ university fees has to change.
The Budding Entrepreneur Magazine, which supports those who do not choose to go down the higher education route, has said “what if the cure for cancer is in the mind of somebody who cannot afford an education?”
Should students pay for higher education? Let’s ask the people of Cardiff.