WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has expressed alarm that local university students face big increases in tuition fees following on from the review of higher education funding.
She has written to Professor Tim Wheeler, vice chancellor of the University of Chester – which has a major Warrington campus – asking for his response to the Browne review.
Ms Jones (pictured) said the review appeared to assume very significant cuts in public funding for universities, with some 
courses losing all their funding.
She said:”I am very concerned that these proposals for student finance are based on massive cuts in public funding for the University of Chester which has one of its campuses in Warrington, and that students will see a big increase in their tuition fees a result.
“We need a system of higher education finance and student funding that is sustainable, fair and progressive. These proposals do not meet these tests.
“I have written to the vice chancellor to ask how he expects to be affected by cuts in higher education funding and by how much they expect tuition fees to increase by.”
John Denham, the shadow Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary, has said the Browne report deserves careful study.
“But his conclusions seem to reflect a belief that the Coalition Government will cut spending on HE Teaching by around two thirds.
“This is a massive cut even when set against the Coalition’s aim to cut spending by 25 per cent.
“Higher Education is a major driver of growth and innovation and needs sustainable financial support from both the public and private sources.
“It is right that students make some contribution towards to cost of their Higher Education. However, the system must be fair, progressive, sustainable, and ensure that students can choose the course most suited to them and not be forced to shop around for the cheapest course.
“We are concerned that many graduates will be shackled by debt for the majority of their working lives; that those on middle incomes in typical graduate jobs may pay more than their fair share and the highest earners will pay less and be free of debt much earlier.”
