The cost of a degree at a British university will soar under controversial new proposals from Business Secretary Vince Cable to tax university graduates, according to figures released by the University and College Union.
The findings make embarrassing reading for Mr Cable after he said that teachers and social workers would benefit under his plans. They won’t.
New research by the UCU reveals that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government’s plans for a graduate tax will in fact leave teachers, nurses and social workers well out of pocket – leading to fears of shortages in all of those key professions.
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “Parents and students will judge proposed changes to student finance on whether they make university more expensive or not. Whatever scheme is proposed to replace fees, the Government must ensure that studying for key professions remains attractive – and that the prospect of prohibitive costs over a lifetime will not put off the next generation of innovators and public servants.”
Ms Hunt added: “We urge Mr Cable to look again at the idea of taxing big business for the substantial benefit it gains from a plentiful supply of graduates, rather than merely looking to penalise students further.”
