General election 2019, Your Questions Answered: Tuition fees

Universities in England can currently charge up to £9,250 a year in tuition fees, which can be paid for through a student loan

We've had a number of questions from audience members about university tuition fees and student loans.

Paul Gilbert, from the Meriden constituency in the West Midlands, wanted to know what the parties are promising.

He said as a parent himself, he was worried about his children being saddled with debt.

Universities in England can currently charge up to £9,250 a year in tuition fees, which can be paid for through a student loan.

Recent figures indicate the average debt among students who finished their courses in 2018 was £36,000.

Both tuition fees and student loans were introduced under Labour in 1998 and Mr Gilbert wanted to know if that party would stick with the promise it made before the 2017 election. Its manifesto then said: "Labour will reintroduce maintenance grants for university students, and we will abolish university tuition fees."

The answer appears to be yes, because Labour's 2019 manifesto says: "Labour will end the failed free-market experiment in higher education, abolish tuition fees and bring back maintenance grants."

Paul also asked if Labour would write off debt that students already have and the simple answer is none of the main parties has suggested outstanding fees or loans should be refunded or cancelled.

The Conservatives haven't pledged to abolish the fees or the loans, but their 2019 manifesto promises to consider the findings of the Augar Review into tuition fee levels and "look at the interest rates on loan repayments with a view to reducing the burden of debt on students".

The Liberal Democrats, who were criticised for promising to "scrap unfair university tuition fees for all students taking their first degree" before the 2010 election and then failing to do that when they joined the Conservatives in a coalition government, haven't promised to scrap tuition fees or loans in their 2019 manifesto.

Instead they promise to "reinstate maintenance grants for the poorest students" and "establish a review of higher education finance" to consider the impact fees have on access to higher education.

The Green Party has said it would scrap tuition fees.

The Brexit Party has said it will scrap interest charges on tuition fees.

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