Government announces U-turn on free courses for vulnerable learners
9 August 2011
UCU today said it was pleased that plans to axe free courses for people on inactive benefits (which include income support, working families' tax credit and housing benefit) were being dropped.
Responding to this afternoon's announcement by further education minister, John Hayes, the union said that while it welcomed the government's U-turn on fee remission, colleges weren't being given any extra money to provide additional courses.
UCU also called on ministers to spell out what freedoms they will give colleges and what level of discretion institutions will have to provide free courses under the revised plans.
Today's news follows a long campaign by UCU against changes due to be implemented in September, which experts predicted would have priced out thousands from getting an education.
A study by the Association of Colleges last month, estimated that 250,000 people would have been hit with fees of between £500 and £1,000 a year and around three-quarters (185,000) of them would have been women.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We are pleased that the government appears to have changed plans that would have priced out thousands of people from getting an education. We welcome this U-turn, but it must be noted that no additional funds are being made available to colleges to meet the demands of their communities so many learners still face the possibility of missing out on education and training.
'The government has acknowledged there is a problem, which is a positive step, but it has yet to provide a solution and we await further details. Ministers need to spell out what freedoms they will give colleges and what level of discretion institutions will have to provide free courses under the revised plans. I sincerely hope this doesn't lead to a postcode lottery that is hard for students to navigate.'
UCU also called on ministers to spell out what freedoms they will give colleges and what level of discretion institutions will have to provide free courses under the revised plans.
Today's news follows a long campaign by UCU against changes due to be implemented in September, which experts predicted would have priced out thousands from getting an education.
A study by the Association of Colleges last month, estimated that 250,000 people would have been hit with fees of between £500 and £1,000 a year and around three-quarters (185,000) of them would have been women.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We are pleased that the government appears to have changed plans that would have priced out thousands of people from getting an education. We welcome this U-turn, but it must be noted that no additional funds are being made available to colleges to meet the demands of their communities so many learners still face the possibility of missing out on education and training.
'The government has acknowledged there is a problem, which is a positive step, but it has yet to provide a solution and we await further details. Ministers need to spell out what freedoms they will give colleges and what level of discretion institutions will have to provide free courses under the revised plans. I sincerely hope this doesn't lead to a postcode lottery that is hard for students to navigate.'
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