Candidate calls for Labour to be clear over student support

11.48.33pm GMT Sat 13th Jan 2007

Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Gower and Swansea councillor Nick Tregoning is calling for further action from Welsh Labour in the light of the results of surveys from the TUC and the National Union of Students, and from NatWest Bank that show many students are forced to neglect their studies in favour of work.

The NatWest study shows that around 45% of students take on a job to help with the rising cost of going to college, working an average of 14 hours per week. The TUC/NUS study shows that 70% of students spend less time studying, and that around 25% miss classes in order to work.

"Education is the key to the future prosperity of Wales, and to developing individuals to their full potential," said Councillor Tregoning. "It makes no sense to place financial barriers in the path of our students. That is why we have led the opposition to both tuition fees and top-up fees, and why we obliged Labour to re-introduce student grants for the least well off when we were last in government in Wales. In addition, Labour's top-up fees make it less likely that students from less well off families will choose to study for a degree, which is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats prevented the Labour Party from introducing top-up fees in Wales for Welsh-domiciled students."

"Now we are promising that we will guarantee at least the present level of financial support to Welsh students in Welsh higher education up to 2011. It may be that in 2009 Labour in Westminster allows English colleges to charge what level of top-up fees they like. If that happens, we will do everything we can afford to do in order to lessen the impact on Welsh students. It is high time Welsh Labour made their own position completely clear. Studying for a degree is meant to be an intellectual challenge, not a financial one."