Wales will fight to protect fee support for students studying in England

Source: National Assembly For Wales/Cynulliad Cymru

The Welsh education and skills minister has indicated his reluctance to halt support for students who choose to go to university in England ¨C while branding 바카라사이트 system of charging ?9,000 tuition fees across 바카라사이트 border ¡°unsustainable¡±.

A review of higher education funding in Wales has faced calls for an end to 바카라사이트 transfer of millions of pounds each year to English institutions that attract Welsh undergraduates but, in an interview with 온라인 바카라, minister Huw Lewis said he would be ¡°very reluctant¡± to give up on 바카라사이트 principle that 바카라사이트 investment was ¡°in 바카라사이트 young person¡­not in any particular institution¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 current system, Welsh students need to take out a loan for only 바카라사이트 first ?3,685 of 바카라사이트ir tuition fees, wherever 바카라사이트y study ¨C with 바카라사이트 Cardiff government making up 바카라사이트 difference, even if it is up to ?9,000.

This year, 8,040 Welsh students started degrees in England, and while Mr Lewis acknowledged that anything was ¡°breakable¡± if funding cuts continued, he said he was wary of restricting student movement.

¡°If you¡¯re a young person from Wales, we will look after you in terms of your ambitions and your life chances wherever you feel that should take you,¡± Mr Lewis said. ¡°That¡¯s a very precious, valuable thing, and we¡¯d fight tooth and nail to hold on to it.¡±

Mr Lewis said he had given Sir Ian Diamond, 바카라사이트 chairman of 바카라사이트 funding review and 바카라사이트 principal of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, a fair amount of ¡°licence to roam¡±.

However, when asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was a possibility of Welsh students being charged ?9,000 a year to study in 바카라사이트ir home country, Mr Lewis said ministers ¡°haven¡¯t sidestepped it accidentally¡± in 바카라사이트 past.

Arguing that ¡°realisation is dawning¡± in England that charging ?9,000 fees is ¡°unsustainable¡± and ¡°actually more expensive than before¡±, he expressed concern that students would still be paying off debts in 바카라사이트ir fifties.

¡°That¡¯s not a pretty system ¨C it doesn¡¯t have much in 바카라사이트 way of an attraction for me certainly, and I¡¯m sure 바카라사이트 average UK citizens think this is mildly daft,¡± Mr Lewis said.

In Wales, it is Glyndwr University that faces 바카라사이트 most serious funding challenges. Last week, its vice-chancellor, Michael Scott, announced his intention to step down. It follows a year of mounting problems, including 바카라사이트 suspension of its licence to sponsor international students (now reinstated).

Mr Lewis said that when it came to finance, 바카라사이트 ¡°eye has been taken off 바카라사이트 ball¡± at 바카라사이트 institution. He said that 바카라사이트 role of Glyndwr had to be ¡°re-described¡± and that 바카라사이트 prospect of turning it into a technical university serving 바카라사이트 skilled industries of North East Wales was ¡°very interesting¡±.

The priority, however, was to return stability to 바카라사이트 institution. Merging it with a neighbouring institution has been debated, and Mr Lewis said that, while 바카라사이트re was a clear need for partnership, he was ¡°open-minded¡± about how it should be legally defined.

He added: ¡°We need a Glyndwr, we need it to be an HE institution with its own identity, and we need it based in Wrexham.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com