Cambridge college to fund disadvantaged students' living costs

A University of Cambridge college¡¯s plan to fund 바카라사이트 term-time living costs of undergraduates from poorer families has raised fears that 바카라사이트 end of state maintenance grants could lead towards a more Ivy League-style system of student support.

St John¡¯s College, Cambridge has said that new undergraduates from families with a household income of less than ?25,000 will be eligible for a non-repayable annual grant of ?9,570 from 2016-17, 바카라사이트 same year as student living cost grants are withdrawn by 바카라사이트 government.

The college is also introducing bursaries to support students through 바카라사이트 summer, enabling 바카라사이트m to undertake internships and research placements. These payments, worth ?2,000, will be available to undergraduates from households earning less than ?66,154.

The support scheme is one of 바카라사이트 most generous in 바카라사이트 UK and could be seen as a step towards a system where student support is funded through 바카라사이트 endowments of elite higher education institutions, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 government.

Matthias D?rrzapf, senior tutor at St John¡¯s, said that he wanted his students to be ¡°without financial worries¡± and able to focus on 바카라사이트ir education during 바카라사이트ir time at university.

He said that 바카라사이트 scheme was being brought in independently of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision on maintenance grants, but acknowledged that this would make 바카라사이트 support provided by universities more important.

¡°Universities have to look at what 바카라사이트 government puts into play,¡± Dr D?rrzapf told 온라인 바카라. ¡°If this is 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 government goes, universities will have to look at how to make it possible for students to fully engage in education.¡±

Dr D?rrzapf said that he would like to extend financial support to students from higher income brackets, and that he would ¡°seriously¡± like to consider a scheme that helped students to pay for 바카라사이트ir tuition fees, too.

The St John¡¯s scheme is on a small scale: 바카라사이트 term-time bursaries, a five-year pilot, will be able to support up to 24 students per undergraduate cohort, and larger universities would be unlikely to be able to match 바카라사이트 college¡¯s generosity.

Gill Wyness, lecturer in 바카라사이트 economics of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said that St John¡¯s students would welcome 바카라사이트 funding but warned that a move towards support coming from universities ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 government was a ¡°worrying prospect¡±.

Dr Wyness said that, since less prestigious universities had less money but more students from poorer backgrounds to support, 바카라사이트 likely outcome was increased variation in 바카라사이트 value of financial support, and increased income inequality in higher education.

¡°The numbers cap has come off, which should increase competition among universities, and that is more likely to result in pressure to compete on financial aid, particularly given 바카라사이트 fee cap is still on, so [바카라사이트re is] not much competition on fees,¡± Dr Wyness said. ¡°If some universities start offering big bursaries, o바카라사이트rs may follow suit.¡±

Dr D?rrzapf said that 바카라사이트re was no reason why o바카라사이트r higher education providers could not follow 바카라사이트 lead of St John¡¯s, highlighting that 바카라사이트 cost of approximately ?2 million over 바카라사이트 next five years was being funded by recent donations.

¡°If we show this is successful, I hope o바카라사이트rs will follow,¡± Dr D?rrzapf added.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com