English
中文
Maintenance loans and grants for English Students will increase by 1% in 2014-15. The announcement came through a written statement from universities minister David Willetts.
The increase is less than the rate of inflation. Part-time students and those taking distance learning courses will also get a 1% rise in maintenance grants and loans.
The maximum grant will now be £3,387 for students who started higher education after September 2012. Students living at home will be able to borrow as much as £4,418. A student living away from home and studying in the capital can get a maximum loan of £7,751. The most students outside London and renting accommodation can get from a loan is £5,555.
Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students (NUS) called for fundamental changes to the way student finance was given. He said: “The gap between the cost of living and the amount of support available to students continues to widen.” He added that an NUS study found that many students were having difficulty making ends meet, concentrating on their studies and staying for the duration of the course.
Tuition fees rose to a maximum of £9,000 a year from September 2012. However, the government said that tuition fees will not rise further in 2014-15 for either new or continuing students.
In addition, loans for covering tuition fees wil also be available for students either studying full time or part-time. Maximum fee grants and and course grants for part-time courses students took before September 2012 will also increase by 1% in 2014-15.
Universities worry that the income they take in from tuition fees will not be enough to compensate for the loss of government funding. According to Nicola Dandridge of Universities UK: “Not up-rating the fee for the second year in a row will inevitably have the impact of eroding income for investment in the future, at a time of rising cost pressures, increasing student expectation, and the need to compete effectively in the global economy.”
What do you think of the current funding scheme for student loans and grants? Let us know what you think by giving feedback below.
