University fee increases for Wales

11 July 2011 Last updated at 15:54 GMT Universities say they are striving to ensure students from all backgrounds can still attend

Eight out of 10 universities in Wales will charge maximum tuition fees of ?9,000 per year for some or all their courses, it has been announced.

The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales said every institution has had their plans to increase fees from September 2012 accepted.

Universities' initial proposals were all rejected last month.

The National Union of Students in Wales said the decision was a "sad day for higher education in Wales".

Students from Wales will have the increase in fees paid for them by the Welsh Government, which now faces a bill of around ?280m a year to finance the grants.

It is thought most Welsh students will pay roughly ?3,400 a year.

Continue reading the main story ?9,000: Cardiff, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Swansea, Glamorgan, Newport (some ?8,250), Uwic, Trinity Saint David (for undergraduate teacher training in Welsh and English)?8,500: Swansea Metropolitan (exc art & design courses, which are ?8,750)?5,850-?7,750: Glyndwr University (?6,643 average) Source: HEFCWFirst Minister Carwyn Jones said the government was confident it could pay for the tuition fees policy.

Applicants from European Union countries will also be eligible for the subsidy, though students from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will pay the full rate.

The University and College Union (UCU) urged institutions to be cautious on how much they charge for courses.

It is concerned that charging ?9,000 a year would be off-putting for some students.

"These courses provide a lifeline to many people trying to move up the social ladder, and for them to be put off by higher fees would be disastrous," as spokesman said.

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Chad Collins is a lower sixth-former at Ysgol Gyfun Bryn Tawe, and is hoping to study physiotherapy at Cardiff University.

"I don't really mind about the fees. It's a case of whether I do well in my exams, whether I am willing to go for the degree in Cardiff. With fees. fair enough, that the Welsh Government will pay most of it, but again, it's quite daunting for most students who have a poorer background.

"At the end of the day, I'm really motivated to go to university no matter what the fees are. It's just a case of what my results are like on results day. I find that no matter what degree I do, I'll still have to pay anyway after graduation in university." He added: "The cheaper the fees, the better it is for students to be able to go from their A-Levels straight into their degree in whichever university and it will be better off for the students."

Ben Knight-Gregson is studying for a masters degree in physics at Swansea University.

"There's always going to be scholarships and bursaries and such and if you actually go out and look away from university there are many scholarships and bursaries from research institutes and different charities etc. I'm of the opinion that it's great trying to get everybody as equal an opportunity to come to university as they can, and obviously with the fees being risen that could cause an issue for some people, but I don't see what the problem is with regards trying to encourage more people from poorer backgrounds when everybody's given the opportunity to have the same financial assistance if needs be."

However, Higher Education Wales (HEW), the representative body for universities in Wales, welcomed the approval.

Director Amanda Wilkinson said: "This has been a very testing but worthwhile process.

"Universities have emerged with stronger plans to deliver for students and prospective learners from backgrounds with little tradition of going to university."

In rejecting all initial applications, HEFCW said it encouraged institutions to set more ambitious targets.

Universities were told they need to meet certain requirements, including on equal access and improving the student experience.

Professor Philip Gummett, chief executive of HEFCW said: "It is clear from the fee plans that institutions will use a high percentage of their additional income to benefit students, from bursaries for students from disadvantaged communities to investing in new technology."

The Office for Fair Access is due to announce on Tuesday whether universities in England have had their fee plans accepted.

Full amount

Based on the Welsh Government's calculations, this would see about ?50m a year of its budget going to universities in England, as students from Wales take their grants over the border.

The policy is costed on the basis of fees being ?7,000 on average.

The total cost of the policy over nine years would be ?1.5bn although this would be offset by a 35% cut to university budgets.

However, questions have been asked about its affordability if average fees are nearer ?9,000.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews said it had been a robust process but he expected the performance of universities to be monitored.

"The Welsh Government expects institutions to provide value for money, support access to higher education from under-represented groups and to deliver an excellent student experience," he said.

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School lunches take-up increases

7 July 2011 Last updated at 11:07 GMT Junk food is banned from school canteens The number of pupils in England eating school lunches has risen for the third year running, data suggests.

The School Food Trust said the continued rise, shown in its annual survey, more than compensated for a fall in take-up following TV chef Jamie Oliver's campaign on food quality.

Take-up in primaries was 44.1%, up 2.7 percentage points on 2009-10, and 37.6% in secondaries, up from 35.8%, it said.

Children's Minister Sarah Teacher said the figures were "hugely encouraging".

After Oliver's campaign won huge public support, the government banned junk food from school canteens and vending machines, and in 2006 rules to make food healthier were introduced in English schools.

But school meals take-up initially dropped, before starting to climb again.

Price rise

Strict nutritional guidelines were made compulsory in primary schools in 2008 and secondaries in 2009.

The School Food Trust said the average price of a school lunch had risen during the past year by 5p, to ?1.93, but this was below food-price inflation.

The organisation's chairman, Rob Rees, welcomed the increase in take-up, but said cost remained a concern at a time when funding was tight.

"If we're going to keep school meal numbers rising, we have to keep healthy school meals affordable.

"That means helping schools to grow their market, to get the best deals for their food supplies and services, to protect their kitchens and dining rooms and to operate their catering services efficiently

The figures showed more than 16% of primary schools did not have the facilities to cook hot meals, with food either transported from other locations or menus limited to cold food such as sandwiches.

'Public austerity'

From April 2011, the School Lunch Grant - dedicated funding for local authorities to use for school lunches - has no longer been ringfenced, although the money is still included in the grants for running schools.

Of the 129 local authorities that provided information, nearly two-thirds said the equivalent funds would still be dedicated to school food, but one in five said there was no commitment to ringfence the money in future and one in 10 had not yet decided.

Local Authority Caterers Association head Sandra Russell said she was "pleased" with the increase "particularly at a time when parents are having to watch every penny".

"It is absolutely critical that at this time of public sector austerity measures, we do all we can to ensure the now un-ring-fenced School Lunch Grant continues to be channelled towards catering and that school meals remain high quality, nutritious and above all, as affordable as possible for parents," she said.

Children's Minister Sarah Teather said: "Healthy eating has a direct impact on behaviour, concentration and ability to learn in schools, so these are hugely encouraging figures - the fastest year-on-year rise in take-up since junk food was banned and tough nutritional standards were introduced."

The School Food Trust is losing its status as a public body, as part of ministers' drive to cut quangos.

But Ms Teather said the government would support it in setting up as an independent, not-for-profit social enterprise "to carry on its outstanding work driving up the quality of school meals".

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