Isles of Scilly students could be some of the worst hit with the new top up fees. That’s according to Isles of Scilly MP.
Andrew George is encouraging constituents to contact him to help him put pressure against Government plans for student “top-up” fees in the run up to a critical Commons vote on 27th January.
The MP is asking Scillonian students to sign a petition at www.scraptuitionfees.com or to write to him directly.
The new proposals mean that graduates could be left with a debt of around ?30,000 at the end of their studies.
One Scillonian that already knows the financial problems of going to University is Rosi Taylor from Bryher. She is in her final year at Nottingham University doing a History degree. Already this has left her with a debt of ?12,000. She thinks that if top up fees had been introduced when she was at college she would have “seriously had to consider whether she could afford to go to university.”
Andrew George told Scilly News ‘I would ask anyone, whether they are a concerned parent or a student, wanting to support our campaign to scrap tuition fees to go to sign the petition or write to me to request a form, to show the Government their plans are simply unacceptable.”
“Given the level of support for our proposals, even on Labour backbenches, I believe that this is a campaign we have a real chance of winning ? so let’s turn up the temperature.”
“Like so many people in my constituency, I am very concerned about proposals to raise higher tuition fees. The so-called ?concessions’ proposed by the Government in an effort to get their Bill through would still leave students with debts of around ?24,000 which would take the average student 14 years to pay off.”
“Universities are right to demand more money but that should come out of general taxation and then only from the super-rich. After all, 82% of those earning over ?100,000 are graduates. Higher education benefits the country as a whole and should be available to everyone who has the qualifications to go, rather than becoming the preserve of those who can afford to pay the fees.”
‘Above all debts will discourage many of our youngsters from ever attending university. It also adds pressure to parents who want to help their children go to college but, like so many in Cornwall just don’t have that kind of money.?