Fair Access Coalition statement in response to government’s decision to increase university tuition fees and maintenance loans

Against the backdrop of a record gap in university access between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their better off peers, the Fair Access Coalition released the following statement on the government’s decision to increase university fees:

As the Fair Access Coalition, we want to see a higher education system where access is not limited by socio-economic status, but rather determined by everyone’s desire to learn and ability to succeed. We are pleased to see today’s increase to maintenance loans. Support for students on low incomes has not kept up with inflation, and this will address a significant concern for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds considering higher education.

Our experience of working with thousands of these young people means we know first-hand the extreme hardships they face as undergraduates. If the Labour government are to truly achieve their opportunities mission, they must go further and reinstate maintenance grants too.

Today’s announcement for a one-off inflationary rise to tuition fees is a necessary and welcome step. Given the number of universities in significant financial difficulty, we welcome the government’s decision – tough as it may be- to support the stability of the higher education sector. Cuts to tuition fees – the value of which has consistently dropped in real terms – lead to cuts to widening participation budgets. We know this difficult decision will be crucial  to protecting the widening participation funding designed to close the university access gap.

Going to university remains one of the best choices a young person can make to increase their chances of succeeding in work and life. These policies will ensure the Robbins principle that everyone who has the ability and desire to do so, is able to access higher education, becomes a reality.