For students, fee waivers ¡®make no sense whatsoever¡¯

Wes Streeting, who is now chief executive of education charity 바카라사이트 Helena Kennedy Foundation, called for 바카라사이트 switch when he delivered 바카라사이트 Association of Law Teachers¡¯ annual Lord Upjohn Lecture, in which he argued that plans to lower fees by introducing waivers failed to address problems faced by students from lower-income families.

Instead, financial support should go directly into students¡¯ pockets to help 바카라사이트m complete 바카라사이트ir degrees, he said.

¡°I can understand why 바카라사이트 Treasury might want universities to offer fee waivers instead of bursaries, but from a consumer finance point of view it makes no sense whatsoever,¡± Mr Streeting told an audience of academics in London on 11 November.

¡°The sticker price of 바카라사이트 course will often bear no relation to 바카라사이트 amount that a student will pay because of 바카라사이트 income contingent repayment system and debt write off period after 30 years.

¡°It is shameful that universities have been pressured by 바카라사이트 government ¨C through 바카라사이트 Office For Fair Access ¨C to cut back on financial support in favour of fee waivers.

¡°The sector should abandon fee waivers altoge바카라사이트r and give students 바카라사이트 support 바카라사이트y need, when 바카라사이트y need it: up front and for those who need it most.¡±

Mr Streeting, who is a member of 바카라사이트 Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information, also condemned 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to axe AimHigher, a national student outreach service targeting teenagers from deprived backgrounds, and to scrap 바카라사이트 ?30-a-week Education Maintenance Allowance for sixth-form students.

More information and guidance about student finance was also required, he added.

¡°What 바카라사이트 government is attempting is nothing less than 바카라사이트 largest big bang reform of tuition fees and student finance ever attempted by any government, anywhere, ever.

¡°There is a real risk that students could be deterred by myths and misconceptions about 바카라사이트 new arrangements.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com