Cut In University Tuition Fees Could Be Debated By Parliament Following Huge Student Outcry

More than 130,000 people have signed a petition.

A move to reduce university tuition fees to ยฃ3,000 a year could be debated by Parliament after more than 130,00 people signed a petition.

The petition claims young people are being deterred from doing a degree due to high tuition fees, which are set to rise again in September to ยฃ9,250 a year.

Between 2006 and 2012, students paid up to ยฃ3,000 a year in tuition fees, before the figure was controversially tripled to ยฃ9,000, leading to huge student protests.

More than 130,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to reduce tuition fees
More than 130,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to reduce tuition fees
UK Government

Thousands of young people are now calling on the government to reduce tuition fees to pre-2012 levels.

The petition reads: โ€œUniversity fees are rising more and more.

โ€œยฃ9000 for university fees is too high and the stress of being in debt is what puts individuals off applying for degrees.

โ€œNow that grants have been removed it makes it difficult for families who need financial support but canโ€™t get that anymore.โ€

The rise in tuition fees to ยฃ9,000 a year led to huge student protests
The rise in tuition fees to ยฃ9,000 a year led to huge student protests
Jenny Matthews via Getty Images

First year student Zahra Walji, who started the petition, said the current system was preventing academics from reaching their โ€œtrue potentialโ€.

Despite the fact more than 132,000 people have signed the petition, many students and graduates have shared their doubts over its success:

People signing the petition to lower tuition fees so it has to get discussed in parliament, here's how the discussion will go: ...'no'.

โ€” Max (@baker_max97) February 13, 2017

Instead of a petition to lower tuition fees maybe if young people actually voted we wouldn't actually be paying 9k

โ€” Gambit (@raunaksays) February 13, 2017

A petition to reduce tuition fees is pointless now. I'm sure universities have made it so the increase in fees just about "breaks even" with

โ€” ๐ŸŒš๐ŸŒ (@MrPolo_) February 13, 2017

But Walji is insistent about the importance of students making a stand against tuition fee rises.

โ€œWe all have a voice,โ€ she said. โ€œIโ€™m proud to be a British citizen and I feel it is my right to have a say in things that affect our country.

โ€œIf we donโ€™t stand up, we have given up before weโ€™ve even started.โ€

Parliament must at least consider debating petitions that receive 100,000 signatures or more.

However, they may decline if the issue has already been discussed in the past or set to be debated in the near future.

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