Fewer UK adults think that university tuitions fees are fair now than at the start of the year, according to a YouGov poll. In October 2022, only 45% of people said they think tuition fees are fair, compared with 50% in February of this year.
There has also been an increase in people who think that fees are unfair, while the amount of those who ‘don’t know’ what they think about tuition fees has remained generally the same.
The question the poll posed asked respondents to consider the price of tuition fees as well as the UK loan system, which covers tuition fees and must be repaid when loanees earn £9,250 a year (with outstanding money after 30 years being written off).
Opinions are split over tuition fees
The age demographic who feel most strongly that tuition fees are unfair are UK adults aged between 50 and 64. 45% of them feel that tuition fees are unfair, while 41% think that they are fair.
Opinions are also divided across those with different political views. Out of those polled, 58% of Conservative voters thought that tuition fees are fair, while 48% of Labour supporters felt that fees are unfair.
What do students think?
When asked if tuition fees were fair Emily Smith, a master’s student, said: “No, especially because in recent times I don’t feel like it’s actually equated to teaching. I know especially during Covid, I lost weeks and months of teaching and it wasn’t given back.
“At the end of the day, I’m a customer and the uni is a business so if I’m paying for my studies it needs to be shown.”
Meanwhile, another student, Katie Daly said: “I think it’s dependent on the course, so for example, I did English at undergraduate and I had friends who were doing science courses and they were getting access to loads of specialist equipment and had loads more contact time than I did, but we were paying the same amount.
“Whereas now [on a postgraduate course], I’m getting loads more contact time, so I think it’s fairer.”