London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Universities call for return of maintenance grants for students in England

Universities call for return of maintenance grants for students in England

Steve West, head of Universities UK, urges government to deliver new model of higher education funding
Vice-chancellors have called for maintenance grants to be brought back for undergraduates in England, warning that otherwise there will be a “significant” impact on student health and wellbeing as well as their education.

Steve West, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England, told the Universities UK annual conference in Leicester that the new government “needs to face up to the cost of living crisis now faced by students and staff. It is hitting them hard”.

West, the UUK president, said the maximum maintenance loan available to students in England this year would be £1,000 less than a job paying the national minimum wage – the biggest gap between the two since 2004 – putting higher education further out of reach for those from deprived backgrounds.

The maximum support loan for studying outside London and living away from home is now £9,706 for students from households earning up to £25,000 a year.

While universities “have once again stepped up to support students,” West said that emergency aid was not a replacement for long-term backing.

“We also need government to take action. In our conversations with new cabinet members and ministers in the coming weeks, we will urge them to provide additional government money for hardship funding and reinstate maintenance grants for those most in need,” West said.

“Failure to engage with this will lead to significant health and wellbeing challenges as well as educational impacts.”

West said university leaders also needed to make a case for sustainable financing in order to teach their students, as inflation eroded their income from tuition fees.

“Universities are already doing more with less. We have all invested significantly in rising pay and pensions costs, digital innovations to enhance learning and modernised facilities to meet student demand. We have all also invested significantly in support for student mental health and wellbeing to keep pace with demand,” West said.

“I, of course, recognise that this government has many spending priorities that are urgent and pressing. But it is vital that we start to move forward on this issue.”

Vivienne Stern, UUK’s incoming chief executive, told the assembled vice-chancellors that they currently faced “serried ranks” of policy challenges.

“I could list them, but I’d just depress you,” Stern said.

Warning that the Treasury is “not particularly worried” about universities, Stern said the new government’s spending review was a potential risk for research budgets, especially funding a replacement for the UK’s membership of the EU’s £80bn Horizon Europe research programme.

The conference heard results of new research into attitudes towards UK universities. The survey of more than 2,000 adults found that concerns about universities “were not front of mind”, with the public more worried by lack of funding for schools.

Holly Wicks of BritainThinks, which carried out polling and focus groups for the study, said “debt” was the word most associated with higher education by the public. Earlier research in 2018 found that “expensive” was the word most commonly identified.

The survey found that 61% of parents would encourage their children to go to university, down from 66% in 2018.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×