Top-up Fees

I have consistently campaigned against tuition fees and against the introduction of top up fees. Lib Dems are campaigning to ensure that, as in Scotland, tuition for undergraduates in Higher Education is free. Any introduction of top up fees would make tuition more and more expensive. We would make up for the shortfall through an increase in top rate tax to 50p in the pound for the very rich.

Top up fees would enable universities to increase fees beyond the current level. Imperial College has estimated that this might result in fees of £10,500 per year for some courses. In our view it could lead to high fees being charged by elite universities and for all the most expensive laboratory-based courses, wherever they are taught. The result would be to deter all those wishing to pursue science and medicine or to take up offers of places at prestige universities. The National Audit Office has confirmed that since the abolition of student grants the gap between social classes in higher education has actually widened. All the evidence points to the conclusion that student debt is a disincentive to participation, particularly for the less well off. Top up fees would make a bad situation even worse.

My Lib Dem Colleagues all voted against the government on this issue.

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