Campaigners warn that govt plans for college loans could deter further education

#FurtherEducation
#Politics

Friday 22nd June 2012 – 5.44pm
Author: katy.d
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Union News have reported that campaigners have written to John Hayes, the further education secretary asking for urgent clarification on whether controversial plans to force students over the age of 24 to take out loans to study at college will result in over 100,000 fewer places.

It is reported that according to the government’s own impact assessment on the loans plan, ministers expect a 45% drop in the number of over-24-year-olds studying at college when the new system is introduced in 2013/14.

Concerns have also been raised over whether the Student Loans Company (SLC) has been given sufficient time to develop the administration of the new loans system. In recent years the SLC has been heavily criticised for failing to deliver university students’ loans on time.

The letter was delivered today, a national day of action, where students and teachers have been protesting and lobbying MPs.

University and College Union general secretary Sally Hunt said:

“The minister urgently needs to clarify just how damaging these controversial plans will be. At a time of record levels of unemployment it is simply not acceptable to slash opportunity for 100,000 people."

UNISON head of education Jon Richards, said:

“The fear is that the most likely people to go will be those from low income backgrounds, making the plans deeply unfair. The minister must now drop these ill-thought-out proposals and commit to funding further education properly to help give our country the skills it needs for the future.”

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