Graduate Fees Campaign

From september 2006, graduates starting on medicine courses in England will not be entitiled to a student loan to cover their tuition fees. This will mean that 1 in 5 medical students will have to pay their tuition fees up front for a significant proportion of their course. For a more detailed explanation of the arrangements, click here.

Medschoolsonline has been campaigning against this policy since it was announced in October 2005. We have produced a petition against the policy and written a detailed report, outlining the issue and explaining the opposition to the policy.

You can now discuss this issue on our Graduate Applicants FORUM.

Latest Developments

03/08/2006 - At a second meeting with Bill Rammell, Minister for Higher Education, attended by Leo Smith, MSC rep for Southampton, Mr Rammell stated that he would not allow graduate medical students to take out student loans to cover their tuition fees. To find out more about his reasons for this decision, please visit our forum.

22/06/2006 - On the 21st June 2006, we attended a meeting with Mr Bill Rammell MP, Minister for Higher Education. Present at the meeting were Jeremy Durston and Hannah Brotherstone from Medschools Online, Leo Smith (MSC rep for Southampton) and Kirsty Lloyd, Chair of the BMA Medical Students Committee (MSC).

The graduate fees issue was discussed and Mr Rammell has agreed to a second meeting to discuss this and other funding issues further. This second meeting should take place during July. Whilst he hasn't made any committment to making graduate medical students eligible for student loans to cover their tuition fees, the fact that he proposed a follow up meeting so soon is very encouraging.

We will of course keep you all updated regarding any future developments - please check our forum regularly, and feel free to post questions!

The Petition