Tory Plans to Cut Support Grants for Poor British University Students

Edited by Ivan Martínez
2015-06-24 14:41:29

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London, June 24 (RHC)-- The Tory government is considering plans to axe financial support for the poorest students as part of widespread cuts to public services and key British institutions. Under the last Tory led government, when they were in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, they significantly raised the price of university education, slapping a price tag of £9,000 per year for students in England. Former Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg spent much of the 2010 campaign promising not to raise tuition fees. They tripled under the coalition government.

Former Tory adviser Nick Hillman is adamant that the cuts to the poorest families are inevitable. He said, "BIS is one of the departments that no political party promised to protect, and this is one of the very big items in BIS's budget, so I do think it's likely to happen, yes…to be honest, although it causes big problems - it will mean bigger debts for students including poorer students - it is better than reducing the number of university places."

Many people believe that the richest in society can simply pay for their education, making career progression far easier. Campaigners say that British society is rapidly turning into a country where those that have money succeed, whilst the working class and those less affable are left to struggle, making student life less diverse as result.

National Union of Students Vice president Megan Dunn said “We know that our poorest students are the most likely to be deterred by debt, but it could also affect where students choose to live and which courses to take…It will mean staying at home instead of moving into halls or shared accommodation and applying for shorter courses to reduce costs.”

More than 500,000 students in England receive a maintenance grant, with the vast majority needing it in order to gain an education. Many people say that in a society as rich as Britain, education should be a right, not a luxury.



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