Martin supports university tuition fees fightback

4.33.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 10th Oct 2008

Over 9000 stickered £1 coins are to go into circulation across the UK this week, highlighting the cost of tuition fees being paid by students in England and Northern Ireland over the course of a degree. Martin Horwood MP is lending support to the campaign by circulating the coins in the House of Commons and in Cheltenham.

The initiative, part of a UK Youth Parliament campaign to abolish university tuition fees, is being launched as thousands of students prepare to start university. According to a UK Youth Parliament survey of 6000 young people, one in three young people wanting to go to university say they can't afford to go.

James Greenhalgh, 18, Member of Youth Parliament, said:

"There seems to be no end in sight as the cost of university spirals out of control. Young people are being asked to play Russian roulette with their financial future as they incur mounting debts.

"Education should be free for all young people and we will not stop until the injustices this flawed tuition fees system have created are brought to an end."

Tuition fees have now been set at up to £3145 per year in England and Northern Ireland. Fees in Wales are capped at £1255 and there are no tuition fees in Scotland.