This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-35595096
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Student rent support plan from Welsh Conservatives | Student rent support plan from Welsh Conservatives |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Radical plans to scrap tuition fee subsidies and pay half of students' rent instead have been announced by the Welsh Conservatives. | Radical plans to scrap tuition fee subsidies and pay half of students' rent instead have been announced by the Welsh Conservatives. |
| Students from Wales currently pay only £3,810 towards their fees wherever they study in the UK. | Students from Wales currently pay only £3,810 towards their fees wherever they study in the UK. |
| The Welsh government supports anything above that up to £5,190 a year which the Tories said was "unsustainable" at an annual £229m cost to taxpayers. | The Welsh government supports anything above that up to £5,190 a year which the Tories said was "unsustainable" at an annual £229m cost to taxpayers. |
| The party said its £75m-a-year plans help with living costs and were fairer. | The party said its £75m-a-year plans help with living costs and were fairer. |
| Their argument is accommodation costs often take a chunk out of a student's maintenance loan and the plan would help free up funds for their education. | Their argument is accommodation costs often take a chunk out of a student's maintenance loan and the plan would help free up funds for their education. |
| Student funding is set to be a key issue in May's assembly election, amid concern from some critics that tuition fee subsidies for Welsh students benefit universities in England. | Student funding is set to be a key issue in May's assembly election, amid concern from some critics that tuition fee subsidies for Welsh students benefit universities in England. |
| Education Minister Huw Lewis has suggested Labour would continue to subsidise tuition fees if the party won the election in May, but hinted the subsidies may be means-tested. | Education Minister Huw Lewis has suggested Labour would continue to subsidise tuition fees if the party won the election in May, but hinted the subsidies may be means-tested. |
| Plaid Cymru has said it would shift to a system where graduates who work in Wales would get £6,000 a year of their tuition fee debts written off. | Plaid Cymru has said it would shift to a system where graduates who work in Wales would get £6,000 a year of their tuition fee debts written off. |
| One of its candidates, Adam Price, was scornful of the Tory plan, claiming that instead of subsidising universities in England the party wanted to "subsidise landlords there instead". | |
| The Welsh Liberal Democrats have said they would replace tuition fee subsidies with maintenance grants for students and more direct help for cash-strapped universities. | The Welsh Liberal Democrats have said they would replace tuition fee subsidies with maintenance grants for students and more direct help for cash-strapped universities. |
| Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies will unveil his party's rent support pledge in a speech at Exeter University on Thursday. | |
| "Higher education funding in Wales needs a radical shake-up - and Welsh Conservatives are the only party proposing a radical new approach which offers students the support they need with potentially prohibitive living costs," he said. | "Higher education funding in Wales needs a radical shake-up - and Welsh Conservatives are the only party proposing a radical new approach which offers students the support they need with potentially prohibitive living costs," he said. |
| "Accommodation costs often swallow up maintenance loans, meaning students - and their parents - often struggle with everyday living costs associated with university life. | "Accommodation costs often swallow up maintenance loans, meaning students - and their parents - often struggle with everyday living costs associated with university life. |
| "We want to change that - offering students timely, urgent support that will improve the accessibility of education; simultaneously ending Labour's unsustainable tuition fee grant." | "We want to change that - offering students timely, urgent support that will improve the accessibility of education; simultaneously ending Labour's unsustainable tuition fee grant." |
| There was a "weight of evidence" that the current system was a "gimmick", he added. | There was a "weight of evidence" that the current system was a "gimmick", he added. |
| The Tories said average rental costs in Wales for students were around £118 a week, meaning the average student would receive £59 a week in rent subsidy. | The Tories said average rental costs in Wales for students were around £118 a week, meaning the average student would receive £59 a week in rent subsidy. |
| The money would be paid wherever in a UK the student chooses to go to university. | The money would be paid wherever in a UK the student chooses to go to university. |