Why some students are unhappy about plans to freeze tuition fees

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Sixth form student, RachelImage source, Twitter/rachellord22

Students have told Newsbeat they're not entirely convinced about plans to freeze tuition fees at £9,250.

Theresa May says she's listened to young people's concerns about the cost and will also change repayments.

Graduates will start paying back loans once they earn £25,000, rather than £21,000 in future.

The PM, who is in Manchester for her party's conference, is hoping to win over younger voters.

But Labour, called the plan "desperate" and these students - present and future - have mixed views.

The sixth form student

Image source, Twitter/@rachellord22

Rachel's 17 and currently studying A-level maths, politics and geography. She wants to take politics at university next September.

She's aware that tuition fees are the highest they've ever been, but she says it hasn't put her off going on to uni.

"You only have to pay back once you earn a certain amount," she says.

@rachellord22 "Who thought that freezing tuition fees at the highest they've ever been would win over the youth vote??", external

She thinks raising the repayment threshold to £25,000 a year is a good policy as it might encourage more people to go to uni.

However, she disagrees with freezing tuition fees because: "Young people would prefer tuition fees to go down rather than remain at such a high rate."

The university student

Image source, Twitter/@india_florence

India's 18 and studying psychology at university in Manchester.

She says she'll be about £44,000 in debt when she leaves: "For a piece of paper that doesn't guarantee employment at the end."

India believes tuition fees should definitely be capped, but they shouldn't have been as high in the first place.

"It's ridiculous to expect people to go and get a degree for the most basic of jobs when it's priced as a luxury that few can afford," she goes on.

"[The government is trying to] pull in a generation of new voters that are more aware of the world than they're thought to be and are sick of hearing empty promises from out of touch politicians."

The second year uni student

Image source, Ellen Tyldesley

Ellen's studying English Language and Literature. She'll owe £52,600 at the end of the three years.

She thinks the PM pledging to freeze tuition fees is a step in the right direction, but she needs to do more to "win over" the support of young people.

"Many of us don't go to university and the cost of tuition isn't the only thing on our mind," she explains.

"Pressing issues such as the conditions of the NHS and national security are equally - if not more - important to us."

The president of the National Union of Students

Image source, NUS

Shakira Martin is head of the NUS which speaks for the rights of students.

They've been calling for tuition fees to be scrapped, but Shakira does admit that the government might be starting to listen to their arguments.

"Raising the repayment threshold from £21K to £25K is a long overdue step that will help those graduates on the lowest incomes," she says.

"An investment in students is an investment in our future.

"Government must act to ensure all students can access and achieve in further and higher education."

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