NORTHERN IRELAND: Freeze on university tuition fees

Tuition fees for Northern Ireland students are to be frozen. Higher Education Minister Stephen Farry said fees would rise only in line with inflation and that the budgets of universities would be protected, reports the BBC.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said that the £40 million (US$62 million) needed to freeze fees would be found by top-slicing money from several other departments. The decision means fees will remain at around £3,500 per year.

Farry said he would make a full statement on the issue. University chiefs described Thursday last week as 'D-Day' and said the decision would have a profound effect on the future of higher education in Northern Ireland.
Full report on the BBC site