Say No 2 FE Fees by taking part in the national day of action and constituency lobby day on Friday 22 June.

FE Fees: What’s going on?

The government is withdrawing a significant financial contribution to adult education, leaving adults high and dry.

At the moment, if you’re aged 24+ and you want to take A levels, or a BTEC, or a level 3 apprenticeship, the Government pays 50 per cent of your course fee. From September 2013, anyone aged 24 and above who wants to study a level 3 qualification will have to pay full fees.

This cut in funding will be hugely damaging to further education, normally a place where adults can get a second chance if they’ve been failed the first time around.

• How will adults re-train to find work in the current economic climate?
• How will they access higher level apprenticeships?
• And how will they afford Access to HE courses?

The government is introducing a system of student loans into further education, to cover the course fee at level 3. This means if you want to take a level 3 course and then go to university, you may have to take out two student loans. And if you want to take a level 3 apprenticeship, you’ll have to take out a loan to go to work.

This policy doesn’t make any sense. We say No 2 FE Fees.

   So what can students' unions do about it?

• Join the NUS/UCU/Unison No 2 FE Fees National constituency lobby day on Friday 22 June - encourage as many of your students as possible to take part, and to let us know you're visiting your MP, click here and fill in this form. More info about the day and how to lobby your MP available at www.nusconnect.org.uk/no2FEfees very soon!
• Whether you are an HE union or an FE union, contact other students' unions in your area and work with them to get as many people as possible lobbying their MPs on 22 June
• Contact your local UCU, Unison and other trade union branches and work with them too
• Join the #No2FEFees Twitter Twobby at noon on Friday 22 June. Tweet at your MP to say #No2FEFees, e.g. "@[yourMP] please say #No2FEFees #FElobby''. To find out if your MP is on Twitter see http://tweetminster.co.uk/mp
• Get your friends and family involved – talk to them about the campaign and get them to email/lobby/twobby their MP too!
• Spread the word - join the No 2 FE Fees Facebook event; tweet news and updates using #No2FEfees and #FElobby; download the No 2 FE Fees logo, and donate your Facebook/Twitter profile pic/ email signature to promote the campaign.

For more info, including briefings, resources and more ideas on how to get others involved in your No to FE Fees campaign please keep checking www.nusconnect.org.uk/no2FEfees or contact campaigns@nus.org.uk