Minister discusses issues with student representatives
Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, met today with officials from the National Union of Students and the Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI).
He heard about current policies and plans including the organisation’s “Access to Education” campaign and discussed concerns around tuition fees and student debt.
Sir Reg welcomed the opportunity to meet the NUS-USI for the first time as Minister and commented: “The work of the NUS-USI is to be commended and its involvement in promoting access to education, student health and combating inequality and prejudice complements the work of my Department. The NUS-USI’s unique position has been particularly effective in promoting student unity across the community divide.”
The Minister said that he understood student’s concerns about variable tuition fees and student debt. However, emphasising the longer term benefits to the Northern Ireland economy, he said: “Variable fees were introduced to provide our universities with much needed additional revenue to help them maintain their world class status.
“Students do not have to pay fees upfront or during their course of study, they may defer until they have left university and are earning over £15,000 a year. Furthermore, increased maintenance grants have also been introduced to alleviate the impact of variable fees on less well off students.”
The Minister also explained that it was too early to gauge the impact of tuition fees on participation in higher education. He said that recent UCAS data indicated that there had been an increase in accepted Northern Ireland applicants to both UK and NI institutions but that the situation would be kept under review.
The Minister gave the following assurance: “I am committed to a review of variable tuition fees and student finance arrangements which is due to commence in 2008/09. The outcome of this review will inform future policy in Northern Ireland.”
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