Cardiff students joined the NUS’ ‘Admission Impossible’ demonstration through central London on Sunday to protest against the soaring levels of student debt.
The coach load of 50 departed early on the morning, joining 3,500 students from across the UK.
Armed with placards, banners and whistles, the demonstrators marched towards Embankment, past 10 Downing Street and Parliament to Trafalgar Square, where the march culminated in a rally.
Cardiff University provided the only live stage performance, with Union President Joe Al-Khayat, Vice President Ed Jones and AU President James Woodroof singing their campaign theme Freelove Feeway, a special version of Ricky Gervais’ cult hit.
Some students felt so passionately about the rise in tuition fees that they sat outside Parliament and refused to move.
Micha, a German ERASMUS student who is studying at Cardiff, said: “I think one march alone is not enough. You have to start a bigger movement to really change something.”
Those entering higher education in September 2005, before top-up fees were introduced, faced the prospect of £20,000 debt at graduation.
There is a threat of a 250% rise in tuition fees next year resulting in £75,000+ worth of debt for this year’s intake.
If the government’s proposal of removing the current cap of £3,000 a year goes ahead the debt will continue to escalate.
The NUS are heavily opposing this policy and are calling for an end to increased fees, debt and marketisation of education.
NUS president Gemma Tumelty said: “We really believe that debt will be a huge deterrent to students entering education. This year there were 15,000 fewer students – that’s a huge concern to us, particularly when government is trying to widen participation.”
However, the Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Bill Rammell, said: “Given the substantial extra income that graduates earn, I believe that it is fair to ask graduates who benefit most to contribute to the cost of their education as well as the tax payer.”
