Maintenance grants survey: the results

38 Degrees makes the best decisions when we all come together to have our say. So this week, we ran a survey to see if we wanted to campaign to get the government to bring back maintenance grants for lower-income university students. Here are the results:

It’s happening because in 2015, the government abolished maintenance grants. [2] That’s the money young people from less well-off families receive to help pay for rent, food, and heating while they’re studying. So now poorer students are being forced to take out much bigger loans than their wealthier friends, for exactly the same education – saddling them with even more debt.

The government have admitted the system isn’t working. They’ve just launched a review into post-18 education. [3] It could be a chance to make higher education in England fairer. But without proper pressure, some say the government could get away without having to act.

The staff team have decided to launch a campaign based on these results – you can sign the petition here!

NOTES:
[1] Maintenance grants were replaced with loans meaning that poorer students face higher levels of debt than previously.
BBC: Student grants replaced by loans:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36940172
The Guardian: Abolition of student maintenance grant ‘will hurt those most in need’:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/aug/01/abolition-student-maintenance-grant-poorest-university-loans-tuition-fees
[2] BBC: Budget 2015: Student maintenance grants scrapped:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33444557
[3] Prime Minister’s speech: The right education for everyone:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-the-right-education-for-everyone