Responding to First Minister Carwyn Jonesâ interview today, where he said that he has âruled out means-testingâ for university tuition fee grants if Welsh Labour retains power in the upcoming assembly election, Angela Burns, an education spokesperson for the Welsh Conservatives, said:
âThe First Ministerâs ruling out of means-testing shows utter contempt for the work and expertise of Professor Sir Ian Diamond – who hasnât even yet published the full findings of his report â and arrogance in the face of a number of policy leaders, who have warned him of the threat this unworkable policy poses to the future of HE in Wales.
âWelsh Conservatives are committed to replacing the current policy with a progressive system of living cost support to enable students from all walks of life to get to university. Living costs are a far bigger barrier to accessing HE â a view supported by the NUS – and a constructive plan to help students in this area is key.
âLabourâs current policy only serves to gather vast amounts of Welsh public money and dump it at the front door of English universites. All the while, our HE sector continues to struggle. Itâs unfair â itâs disadvantaging Wales â and itâs got to stop.
âAny decision relating to the future of tuition fee funding must be evidence based and not the desperate words of a man staring into an electoral abyss.â
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