19 July 2017 
Matt Sisson, Projects and Membership Manager
Lots more fees bits and bobs this week. First up, the Welsh Government has confirmed the level of fees and student support under the new system starting in 2018-19. All students will receive at least £1,000 in means-tested, non-repayable grants, up to a maximum of £8,100, or £10,250 if studying in London. This will then be topped up by loans, while fees will rise to £9,295. The story is covered in WalesOnline.
The English system continues to be debated in the media. David Green, V-C at Worcester calls for a radical rethink in an article in the Guardian. An expert of the American funding system calls fees a “great mistake” in the same paper, while Prof. Nick Pearce of the University of Bath argues in the THE that the unique political situation means that the fees debate will not go away. That seems prescient with Labour granted an emergency debate on fees in parliament this afternoon. Meanwhile, the Russell Group argues that student loan interest rates are out of sync with commercial rates and need to be reduced.
