NUS Policy – Higher Education Funding
Conference Believes:
1. That the political situation regarding student funding has changed significantly since the last NUS
conference.
2. That Grants for all are now a possibility being considered by the Government.
3. That education is a right not a privilege.
4. That access to University should not in any way be limited by a student’s financial status.
5. That universities are an important public service, benefiting the whole of society and local
communities, as well as those educated within them.
6. That universities should be properly funded by the government out of general taxation.
7. That means testing fails those students whose parents are, for whatever reason, unwilling or unable to
contribute towards the cost of their education. Restoration of grants for all is therefore an equal priority
alongside abolishing tuition fees.
8. GATS - the General Agreement on Trade in Services - is a proposed WTO agreement designed to
facilitate free trade in services in a transparent and predictable manner.
9. There has been pressure from New Zealand, Australia and the USA to liberalise trade in the tertiary
education sector.
10. Considerable concern is being shown by international trade unions such as Education International
and Public Services International, NUS, ESIB (European Student Information Bureau - the European
NUS), the European Universities Association (of which Universities UK is a member), the Association
of University Teachers and the Local Government Information Unit.
11. Many Students’ Unions have passed policy against the GATS method of trading education.
Conference Further Believes:
1. That a commercial interest on student loans would act as a disincentive for some students to apply to
University.
2. GATS could be used as a legal means of attacking government subsidies and regulation of both
Further and Higher Education institutions as well as quality assurance and accreditation.
3. This would have negative effects on the role of tertiary education in society and detriment the student
interest in Higher Education.
4. These concerns should be properly addressed with an independent assessment before the UK makes
any further commitments to the GATS agreement.
Conference Resolves:
1. To campaign for an end to tuition fees, and the reintroduction of grants for all, enshrining both of these
as NUS’s top priorities.
2. To oppose the introduction of any form of Graduate Tax.
3. To oppose any increase in the interest rate levied on student loans.
4. To co-operate with ESIB on lobbying the European Commission to oppose the proposed GATS
agreement.
5. To pressure Universities UK to implement the European Universities Association policy against GATS,
working with education trade unions.
6. To lobby the DfES and raise awareness of the implications of GATS for tertiary education.
7. To start raising awareness in the media of our position on GATS.
8. To work with students’ unions to raise this matter further with the student body, their institutions, their
relevant local authorities and MPs.
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