MP supports campaign to cap students’ tuition fees

University students at Keele have won the support of MP Paul Farrelly in their campaign to block a further increase in tuition fees.

The current cap on the amount that universities can charge will be reviewed next year and many vice chancellors want to remove it altogether, raising fears that it will deter many youngsters from going into higher education.

To highlight their opposition to the move, members of Keele’s Labour Students’ Group joined a ‘Keep the Cap’ campaign and collected hundreds of signatures on a petition which Paul will present to Universities’ Secretary John Denham.

The Newcastle MP, who led a backbench rebellion against top-up fees several years ago, pledged his backing to the students’ campaign.

“I oppose lifting the cap and the introduction of a market system in higher education and am only too pleased to give my personal support to this campaign.

 “A new higher cap could easily price many students out of going to university at all or pressure those from poorer backgrounds to choose cheaper universities,” he said.

Since 2006 most English universities have charged full-time undergraduates the maximum fees, which are currently £3,145 a year.

But universities say it’s still not enough to meet the full costs of delivering degrees and investing in facilities and many vice chancellors want to lift raise fees to £5,000 with a suggested new cap of £7,000.

If there is no limit at all, some top universities could charge as much as £14,000, prompting fears of a two-tier system.

The earliest that any change could take place is September 2010 and Paul stressed that the fees limit can only be lifted if Parliament votes for a change.