Labour and Tories will leave students with £44,000 debts - Clegg
April 29, 2010 11:26 PM
Students will be saddled with debts as high as £44,000 in the next five years under Labour and Conservative plans to raise tuition fees after the election, the Liberal Democrats have predicted. Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to scrapping tuition fees and opposing any attempt to raise them. We will phase out tuition fees over six years, starting by immediately scrapping final year fees for students doing their first degree.
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: "Labour and the Conservatives have been trying to keep tuition fees out of this election campaign. It's because they don't want to come clean with you about what they're planning.Despite the huge financial strain fees already place on Britain's young people, it is clear both Labour and the Conservatives want to lift the cap on fees. If fees rise to £7,000 a year, as many rumours suggest they would, within five years some students will be leaving university up to £44,000 in debt. That would be a disaster. If we have learnt one thing from the economic crisis, it is that you can't build a future on debt.
"The Liberal Democrats are different. Not only will we oppose any raising of the cap, we will scrap tuition fees for good, including for part-time students. We can't do it overnight, but we can start straight away with students in their final year - that way means anyone at university this autumn will have their debt cut by at least £3,000. Students can make the difference in countless seats in this election. Use your vote to block those unfair tuition fees and get them scrapped once and for all."
Mike Popham, prospective MP for Bristol East said "Saddling students with debt is bad enough, but the double whammy of debt and no job to help start paying it off is appalling and due to this Labour Government's disgraceful handling of the economy, ineffectually opposed by the Tories - HM Official Opposition!"
ENDS
Notes to Editors
According to recent reports, it is predicted fees could rise to £7,000 under Labour or the Conservatives:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6727699.ece
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