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Some of the recent furore over university fees could be set to settle down after leaked news suggests the government is considering using a proportion of the extra fees to subsidise student union bars across the country.
If the source is correct then as much as 5% of the extra revenue generated from the rise in tuition fees could be used to keep student living costs down while at university by putting a few quid behind the bar.
The students we’ve heard from seem to have lost some of their anger over the higher fees as a thirst for drink starts to outweigh the thirst for knowledge.
Anthony Foster Day, a college maths student who is hoping to go to university later in the year, said that he would welcome the use of fees to subsidise the union bars on campuses.
Mr Day said, however, that the leaked government measures simply didn’t go far enough: “5% is obviously better than nothing, but 10% - or even 13% - could easily have been afforded if this coalition government wanted to look strong on this policy. I mean, what is 5% of £9,000 anyway? £4.50 is not even enough to get a round in these days.”
Alcohol groups have moved quickly to say they are firmly against any use of university fees to subsidise student drinking on campus. Andrea Finkley-Duke of student alcohol awareness group Fresh Orange Or Lemonade said the proposals were a joke. “I think the ministers who have dreamt up this one have been on the pop themselves. History has shown that students go to university because they want to increase their knowledge, develop themselves and get a graduate job later in life. They certainly don’t go to university to get drunk,” fumed Ms Finkley-Duke.
Andrew Frederick Derbyshire seemed to suggest otherwise though: “I’m going to apply to whichever university gets the biggest union bar subsidy. I’d be a fool not to.”
What do you think of these proposals? Would a union bar subsidy affect your choice of university?
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