The 2015 General Election has been and gone with the Conservative Party just scraping through on a majority win. Here we take an unbiased look at what impact their policies might have on students and young people over the next five years. 

Tuition fees will NOT be cut

One of the most controversial policies of the Tory – Lib Dem coalition was the rise in tuition fees from £3,375 a year to a minimum of £6,000. 

The majority of universities now charge the maximum £9,000 a year and unfortunately this will not change. While Labour pledged to reduce fees to a max of £6,000 per year, the Tories made no such promise. In fact, tuition fees may even rise again before 2020.

Postgraduate loans will become available

In 2016 the Conservative party will roll out a postgraduate loan system that works in much the same way as the current undergraduate loan system. 

The government-backed loans (worth up to £10,000) will benefit around 40,000 people. The loan is restricted to students under the age of 30 but will be available for any Master’s subject.

University places will no longer be capped

Universities will soon be able to accept unlimited numbers of students. This has pros and cons. On the one hand, more people will have access to higher education; on the other, teaching standards could fall. 

Teaching quality will be assessed

The specifics of this one aren’t quite clear, but it seems in order to compensate for unlimited places, the government will carefully assess standards. 

The Tory manifesto states they will introduce a framework recognising those universities that provide the highest teaching quality.

Online learning will grow

The Conservatives have pledged to encourage the development of online education for both independent students and those in university. 

3 million apprenticeships will be created

More young people will be offered the opportunity to learn a trade and get paid. The government plans to create 3 million more apprenticeships AND increase the minimum wage for apprentices to £3.30 an hour.

The minimum wage will go up

The Conservatives will increase the minimum wage to £6.70 by the autumn of this year. By the end of the decade the minimum wage will be £8. Many students work part-time to help fund their (increasingly expensive) studies so this is especially good news!

And there will be no tax on minimum wage...

...For anyone working fewer than 30 hours per week. The tax-free allowance will rise to £12,500 per year (it currently sits at £10,600).

Zero hour contracts will remain

Another controversial policy by the coalition; zero hour contracts are widely believed to only benefit businesses. With this type of contract there is no guarantee of work, no regular rota and no stable income.  

It can, however, be very useful for students giving them the flexibility to work around their studies.  

To find out more, check out the Conservative manifesto.