Poll: Should Tuition Fees Rise?

It’s an issue which could divide the coalition just as much as it could divide the country; should tuition fees rise? In a special one-off poll ATV Today asks just that. 

It’s an issue which could divide the coalition just as much as it could divide the country; should tuition fees rise? In a special one-off poll ATV Today asks just that. 

To many, understandably, the idea of raising tuition fees is abhorrent and goes against everything they believe in. Indeed wind back just a few months and the Liberal Democrats were pledging themselves against any rises – in fact some were even pledging to scrap the fees altogether. How times change with some Liberal Democrats now in favour of such rises; though it is an issue which could destabilise the party and leave it deeply divided. Liberal Democrat MP’s will have to ask themselves at what cost to the party will supporting the rises be? Will their supporters – of which a fair chunk are students – abandon the party in disgust? 

The other side of the coin though argues that there is no money left in the pot; the funding of Universities has to now be paid for by the students. The coalition argues that by raising fees standards will improve as they will have more money to spend but not at the tax-payers expense. Cuts, they argue, are unavoidable and the public must shell out more if they want to enjoy a University education. 

However, where do you sit on the debate? Do you agree with raising tuition fees and asking students to pay more for their education? Or do you feel that by increasing tuition fees by thousands of pounds University Education becomes a privilege that only the very rich can afford with poorer students left behind. Could we be on the verge of a new two-tier system in education in which the big and prestigious Universities price disadvantage students out of their corridors and only accept the very rich; the so-called ‘elite’.

Cast your vote in our special one-off poll today! Voting couldn’t be easier; the poll is on the right hand side of the page. Select your choice and then hit vote; you will then be re-directed to the results page where you can see how the poll is progressing. Voting will remain open until Sunday 17th October 2010.