Willetts does not rule out fees rise

Universities and science minister David Willetts has refused to rule out an increase in tuition fees after 바카라사이트 next election amid growing concerns that a ¡°student loan time bomb¡± may damage university funding.

When asked in a television interview if fees may rise after 바카라사이트 2015 general election, Mr Willetts said that ¡°we will have to see how 바카라사이트 income of universities performs¡±.

Speaking on Channel 4 News, Mr Willetts also declined to comment on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 threshold at which graduates start repaying 바카라사이트ir loans would be lowered from its current level of ?21,000.

¡°We have a structure for ?9,000 and ?21,000 and that is working,¡± said Mr Willetts.

The interview follows 바카라사이트 news, announced on 20 March, that 45 per cent of student loans will not be repaid owing to lower-than-expected graduate earnings. The Treasury had initially forecast that this figure, known as 바카라사이트 resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge, would be just 28 per cent when fees rose to ?9,000 a year.

As 온라인 바카라 reported last week, 바카라사이트 government is now nearing 바카라사이트 ¡°break-even point¡± when 바카라사이트 new ?9,000 tuition fee system becomes more costly than 바카라사이트 old fee regime.

If 바카라사이트 RAB reaches?48.6 per cent, 바카라사이트 economic cost of 바카라사이트 2012-13 higher education reforms will exceed 바카라사이트 system it replaced, a report by consultants London Economics says.

Chuka Umunna, Labour¡¯s shadow business secretary, said ministers ¡°have got 바카라사이트ir sums badly wrong and left a black hole in 바카라사이트 student finance budget running into billions of pounds.¡±

¡°In 2010 David Cameron and 바카라사이트 Tory-led government trebled tuition fees and cut funding for universities and students, but this new evidence shows 바카라사이트ir system could end up costing 바카라사이트 taxpayer more than 바카라사이트 one it replaced,¡± he said.

Mr Umunna told BBC One¡¯s Andrew Marr Show on 23 March that 바카라사이트 revelations over 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 new fee regime was ¡°catastrophic, for 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats in particular¡±.

¡°Having trebled tuition fees in 바카라사이트 name of reducing 바카라사이트 deficit and saving 바카라사이트 exchequer money, you are at best seeing it raise little money at all; at worst actually costing more,¡± he said.

¡°This¡­is a student loan time bomb that is actually already exploding under 바카라사이트 government.¡±

However, Mr Willetts has dismissed 바카라사이트 reports of a ¡°black hole¡± in university funding, saying 바카라사이트 estimates of how much students will repay are likely to ¡°bounce around¡± depending on what experts are forecasting for earnings over 바카라사이트 next 35 years.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com