St Mary’s University College has reiterated its position on the issue of University tuition fees.
- St Mary’s is an advocate of the need for continued public investment in learning and teaching, as well as research, at the higher education institutions in Northern Ireland. All the academic disciplines which currently receive public funding should continue to do so.
- The College supports widening access and increasing participation in higher education, as this is considered to be a highly significant driver for enabling greater social justice in our society. St Mary’s accepts that students should make a contribution to their studies in higher education and also accepts that the existing arrangement for the sharing of costs between government and students is appropriate to the circumstances which prevail in Northern Ireland.
In summary, the St Mary’s position is that the present tuition fee arrangements should remain in place.