Chris Lyttle MLA said: “It would be fundamentally wrong to remove the cap on tuition fees.
“We need a higher education system that is open to all and that does not discourage people from low income backgrounds from enrolling. Higher education must be for all and must not be become class-based. People should attend university based on their ability, not on their ability to pay.
“This informed and dignified student demonstration was the biggest of its kind on this island in the past decade and this illustrates the massive strength of opinion against the removal of the cap on fees.
“We believe that Northern Ireland has a much stronger case for the public funding of higher education than England or Wales, due to our economic circumstances and we see ongoing investment in this sector as being vital to growth out of recession.”
ENDS