Feb 28th, 2018
Maintenance Grants
By Becca McCarthy
Does this sound fair to you? Right now, the child of a nurse will end up paying more to go to university than the child of a banker. Since the government abolished ‘maintenance grants’, lower-income students are having to take out bigger loans than their wealthier friends, just to pay for their living costs while they study. [1]
The government just admitted that the higher education system isn’t working. [2] The Department for Education have launched a review to decide how to fix it. [3] 96% of 38 Degrees-ers voted to make our voice heard – and campaign to bring back maintenance grants to help low-income students. [4]
If tens of thousands of us get involved, we can show the government that the public wants them to level the playing field in education – and bring back maintenance grants for good.
Will you sign the petition to get the government to bring back maintenance grants for lower-income students? It’ll take less than a minute:
‘Maintenance grants’ are money the government used to give to students from lower-income families to help pay for rent, food and heating, so that they could study at university. [5]
By abolishing maintenance grants, the government made it harder for students who are less well-off to pay for university. [6] They’ve had to borrow more than their wealthier friends for exactly the same education, just because their parents don’t have as much money.
96% of 38 Degrees members decided that together, we should run this campaign. [7] From the doctor who said they wouldn’t have been able to complete their education without the support of a grant, to the single mum now struggling to support her student son – maintenance grants can make a difference.
NOTES:
[1] In 2015, the government abolished maintenance grants and replaced them with loans, meaning that students from lower-income families will face higher debts to go to university:
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
BBC: Student grants replaced by loans:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36940172
[2] Gov.UK: Prime Minister’s speech: The right education for everyone:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-the-right-education-for-everyone
[3] Gov.UK: Prime Minister launches major review of post-18 education:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-launches-major-review-of-post-18-education
[4] 38 Degrees blog: Maintenance grants survey: the results
[5] See note [1]
[6] See note [1]
[7] See note [4]
