Lib Dems call for fairer student funding as new report shows fees favour the rich

12.00.00am GMT Thu 14th Feb 2008

Lib Dems in Cardiff believe tuition fees should be scrapped so that everyone can have the opportunity of a university education.

Liberal Democrats in Cardiff North have re-asserted their opposition to tuition fees after new research reported a widening gap between rich and poor when applying to universities.

The new report from the Sutton Trust showed that:

• Teenagers from poorer families are turning their backs on a university education because of fears of debt

• Nearly two-thirds of pupils who decided not to seek higher education cited anxieties about money as a concern

• Poorer students were more likely to opt to live with their families during their course, severely limiting their choice of university

The Lib Dem spokesman for Cardiff North, John Dixon, said: "The report's findings challenge Labour's justification for introducing tuition fees and top-up fees. The Government have always claimed that fees were not a disincentive for poorer students, but this research proves exactly the opposite. A university education should be a right for all, not just a privilege for those who can afford it."

Cllr. Ed Bridges, a PhD student at Cardiff University, added: "Figures are also out today which show this year's applications through UCAS for university places. While the numbers overall have risen by 7%, there is a much lower number of pupils from low-income homes applying to university. That is a damning indictment of the Government's policy on fees."

For more information on how the Lib Dems would fund fee-free higher education, visit: www.scraptuitionfees.com To read the Sutton Trust report on university funding, go to: www.suttontrust.com