David Lammy, University Minister, writes to Youth Fight for Jobs

below is David Lammys original letter to Youth Fight for Jobs in response to our 10,000-strong petition handed in on our demonstration on November 28 2009. to see YFJs response, see the link at the end.

Dear Mr Robinson,

Thank you for your recent petition, addressed to Gordon Brown, relating to the funding of Higher Education (HE). I am replying as I have Ministerial responsibility for this area.

I would like to assure you that we are committed to widening participation in HE for economic need and for social justice and I am particularly concerned to ensure that the chance to participate in HE should not be denied to those from poorer backgrounds. A number of policy interventions have been developed to remove financial barriers to HE, including: the abolition of up-front fees, and the introduction of the current loan repayment system which means that no graduate has to repay a loan until they are earning a decent income. There are a significant number of HE Institution bursaries for students from low income families; and in 2006 we reintroduced grants for students from poorer backgrounds. Eligibility for grants and bursaries means that students need not be deterred by the prospect of debt. We realise that without this support students from low income families might otherwise have difficulty accessing, or remaining in HE. We made a commitment that one third of students would get a full grant; we now expect that this will be closer to 40% of students.

The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance was launched in November 2009. The review is chaired by Lord Browne of Madingley, and is independent from Government. The Review will take evidence from within Higher Education and among those with an interest in its success, and we expect it to consider a wide range of policy options in drawing its conclusions. The review launched its first call for evidence at the beginning of December, which aims primarily to explore the impact of the introduction of variable tuition fees since 2006.

The closing date for submissions was 31 January 2010. During January, the Review held public hearings. A second call for evidence will follow later in 2010 to look to future policy options. The Government will not pre-empt the review. Contributions to the review can be made via its website (http://hereview.independent.gov.uk)

Higher education benefits students and the country, so it is right to share the costs. The State continues to provide a significant subsidy for higher education, and it is fair that graduates should bear some of the cost in the light of the significant benefits to them of higher education, in both personal and professional terms The evidence shows that these policies are working, and that people are not being put off university as a result of the introduction of variable fees. Whilst there was a small drop in the number of applications in the year following the introduction of tuition fees, every year since has seen a significant increase in people wanting to study at Higher level.

Finally, we have invested record amounts in HE since 1997 with overall funding up by 25%, doubled spending on science and research and reintroduced capital funding, greatly improving sector's infrastructure for staff and students alike. In addition we are spending around £6bn per year on student support. As a result of there are now more students at university and college than at any time in our history, with over 2m now studying However, higher education cannot be immune to the current economic climate. We are asking the sector to make relatively modest reductions in the next few years. It is not for the Government to dictate how each institution manages its finance and each will need to consider the changing situations and respond accordingly.

David Lammy

to read Youth Fight for Jobs' response, click here.

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