Welcoming Labour’s plans to cut university tuition fees for students attending English universities to £6,000 a year and increase maintenance grants, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“The squeeze on wages, booming property prices and growing student debt have made life extremely tough for young people. As a result, they are likely to be the first generation that ends up poorer than their parents.
“Any moves to cut the amount of money that graduates leaving university and colleges end up owing will be welcome news for the many young people planning to head off to university.
“Those from less well-off families will get more support and all students will finish their studies less in the red than is currently the case. Our long-term aim is the complete abolition of fees, so we welcome any move that takes us closer to this goal.
“Today’s announcement, along with Labour’s jobs guarantee for out-of-work youngsters and its planned expansion of apprenticeships, is clear acknowledgement of the problems facing our young people. It should give anyone who cares about the next generation a clear voting choice in May.”