PENSIONERS may be denied cheaper adult education at West Herts College next year following a £400,000 funding cut.

College bosses fear older students will suffer price rises and a reduced number of courses after Hertfordshire County Council struck its "huge blow" this week.

Three other colleges in the county traditionally share the council's subsidy with West Herts to offer blanket concessions to over 60's studying non-vocational courses.

Although reductions will still be given to people who are receiving benefits, are unemployed or on low incomes, it means the universal concessions for the over 60's will be withdrawn.

In Watford alone an estimated 1,000 senior citizens study non-vocational courses, defined as programmes which don't culminate in formal qualifications, at ten campuses and 100 community out-centres.

Typically someone over the age of 60 studying such a course receives a 50 per cent reduction in price.

Director of marketing and planning Mr John Robinson said he regarded the loss of income as a huge blow, adding: "Obviously we are concerned. It is going to come as a big surprise to the over 60's.

"The college has an excellent reputation for this type of work. We see this as a real reduction in adult education provision in the county.

"Of the subsidy, West Herts receives around £120,000 and we could lose up to three quarters of that amount after this cut."

Staff will spend the next six weeks reviewing the impact of the subsidy cut and studying the effect it will have on costs and the viability of certain courses.

Almost 40,000 enrolments for more than 3,000 non-vocational courses take place at West Herts, Oaklands, Hertford Regional and North Hertfordshire colleges each year.

This year, 15,000 people signed up with West Herts College for a variety of courses ranging from cooking to archaeology.

Members of the council's education committee say they made the cuts to protect schools' budgets.

Councillors decided a £416.8 million budget for 1998/99 on Wednesday to ensure schools could cover costs.

It was the first time in four years the council has avoided cuts in schools' budgets.

Chairman Mr Bob Mays said it was a tough choice. "It is clearly good news for schools and demonstrates the council's commitment to raising standards of achievement for all our young people."

The decisions are set to be ratified by the council's policy committee on January 29 before going to the full council for approval in February.

Mrs Rosemary Warburg is chairman of the Workers Education Association (WEA) in Chorleywood and Rickmansworth, which offers universal concessions to the over 60's.

Asked what effect the removal of such a price reduction would have, she said: "Like everything else, there are some people who are so keen to follow a course they will make cuts elsewhere in their lives to afford it. And there are others who would prefer to do something which did offer a concession.

"But the WEA is very keen that elderly people get equal access to education."

West Herts College was created in 1991 by the merger of Watford's Cassio College and Dacorum College.

It has a tradition of producing leading business people, such as founder of comedy club Jongleurs Maria Kempinska, and more recently Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

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