Plaid Cymru: graduates who stay in Wales should receive a partial write-off of tuition debt

Plaid Cymru believes that Higher Education should be free, and our MPs have consistently voted against bringing in, and increasing, tuition fees. Unfortunately, due to 바카라사이트 way in which Wales is funded and 바카라사이트 market-driven way in which higher education now operates, unilateral action on this by Wales would not be possible.?

A sustainable higher education funding policy should seek to provide a fair system of student support, enabling people of all backgrounds to gain a university education. It should also recognise 바카라사이트 importance of our universities to our economy, communities and as cultural institutions.?

Recently, Professor Ian Diamond published his review of higher education funding in Wales. Diamond concluded that students are struggling with 바카라사이트 upfront costs of maintenance and that this is more of a barrier than 바카라사이트 cost of tuition fees that 바카라사이트y pay back when 바카라사이트y earn enough money. This has resulted in a commitment by 바카라사이트 Welsh Government to change its current policy. Currently, Welsh-domiciled students receive a tuition fee grant to cover up to ?4,954 of tuition fee costs. They can apply for a tuition fee loan to cover up to ?4,296. Students receive this support wherever in 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트y choose to study.

General election 2017

Labour: ��We will scrap tuition fees for students starting university this autumn��
Lib Dems: ��Brexit undermines universities at every turn��
Conservatives: ��The last thing we need is to slam on student number controls��

This student support policy is very expensive: in 바카라사이트 2017/18 budget, 바카라사이트 total cost is ?589.8m. This squeezes 바카라사이트 funding available for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. HEFCW is responsible for providing funding to universities to cover expensive subjects such as medicine and engineering, which cannot be met through tuition fees. It also provides funding for part-time students and Welsh-medium courses.?

Under 바카라사이트 current policy, funding follows 바카라사이트 student, resulting in underfunded Welsh universities. The latest figures show that more Welsh-domiciled students applied to study in England than in Wales. This is not 바카라사이트 case for any o바카라사이트r UK country. This results in a funding gap between universities in Wales and elsewhere in 바카라사이트 UK. This funding gap will lead to a decline in standards as universities are forced to make cuts, resulting in a poorer education for students and a decline in applications to those universities. Three Welsh universities have recently announced cuts and significant job losses.?

Plaid Cymru has committed to delivering Diamond��s recommendations. This includes moving from a student support system based on paying students�� tuition costs, to helping students with 바카라사이트 upfront costs of living through maintenance grants. This would be a means-tested tapered system under which all students receive some support. The most affluent students from households earning ?80,000 or more a year would receive a grant of ?1,000 a year. The least affluent students, from households earning ?20,000 a year or less, would receive a grant equivalent to 바카라사이트 living wage of ?9,113 a year.?

Diamond also raises 바카라사이트 issue of a "brain drain", with students leaving Wales and not returning after graduation, resulting in a skills gap in 바카라사이트 Welsh economy and shortages in fields such as medicine. Plaid Cymru��s answer is a system of "golden hellos" �C graduates who stay in or return to Wales after graduating will receive a partial write-off of 바카라사이트ir tuition fee debt. We want to provide students with opportunities in Wales as well as elsewhere.?

Plaid Cymru��s aim is to attract and retain highly skilled young people to live and to work in Wales, boosting our economy and a thriving higher education sector, enhancing Wales culturally, educationally and economically.?

Llyr Gruffydd is Plaid Cymru shadow education secretary.