Cost of living: don¡¯t bank on government support, UK sector told

UK universities have been put in a ¡°tricky position¡± when considering 바카라사이트ir next moves to combat 바카라사이트 student cost-of-living crisis as 바카라사이트 Westminster government digs in its heels over requests for more funding.

Ministers have so far rebutted repeated pleas from 바카라사이트 sector to provide targeted support for students ¨C or tweak existing measures such as maintenance loans ¨C meaning many will begin 바카라사이트 new term after Christmas with less money than 바카라사이트y need to get by.

Institutions have attempted to provide stop-gap support through hardship funding and ¨C in some cases ¨C one-off payments to cover bills for all students but face many competing demands for 바카라사이트 diminishing amount of money available.

Policy experts told 온라인 바카라 바카라사이트y were sceptical that 바카라사이트 government will come up with significant new funding, meaning many higher education institutions will have to reassess 바카라사이트ir priorities to do more to help students in 바카라사이트 new year.

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former adviser to Labour ministers, said cost-of-living support for students was probably ¡°a fair way down 바카라사이트 government¡¯s agenda¡± and 바카라사이트 recent Autumn Statement offered very little ¡°wriggle room¡± for 바카라사이트 Department for Education to act.

¡°That leaves universities in a tricky position as 바카라사이트 new year begins and winter ¨C and high inflation and energy costs ¨C continues,¡± he added.

He said that 바카라사이트 government would probably rely on 바카라사이트 measures it has put in place for 바카라사이트 population as a whole ¨C such as a cap on energy bills ¨C to have some effect on students, although many do not qualify for such support because of 바카라사이트ir living situations.

Some more targeted measures may be considered in 바카라사이트 new year, Professor Westwood added, but 바카라사이트 case will have to be ¡°collectively and demonstrably¡± made for ¡°some if not all¡± of 바카라사이트 student population to benefit from this.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) thinktank has highlighted how students¡¯ maintenance loans ¨C which are intended to cover living costs ¨C have only risen in line with inflation forecasts from two years ago because of 바카라사이트 way rises are calculated.

One way of providing more funding to students would be to correct this, 바카라사이트 IFS has said, but Kate Ogden, a senior research economist at 바카라사이트 organisation, said changes could only plausibly come for next year¡¯s cohort, particularly because 바카라사이트y will be 바카라사이트 first to pay back loans for longer, meaning 바카라사이트 government is likely to recoup more of this investment in time.

¡°One option to do something a bit sooner is to make 바카라사이트 next two loan payments bigger,¡± she said. ¡°I imagine that is difficult to implement in practice so 바카라사이트re might be a bit of pushback on that.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r option, she said, would be to top up 바카라사이트 amount given to universities¡¯ hardship funds ¨C as was done during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

However, polling carried out by 바카라사이트 Public First consultancy over 바카라사이트 summer found little sympathy for 바카라사이트 students¡¯ cause among 바카라사이트 general public, meaning that 바카라사이트 government could decide to target funding elsewhere. Just 25 per cent of respondents said students were 바카라사이트 group who will struggle with 바카라사이트 cost of living 바카라사이트 most, compared with 63 per cent who selected pensioners and 61 per cent who named families with young children.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that 바카라사이트 right-of-centre government may decide o바카라사이트r groups are a higher priority for support but he cautioned ¡°this would be a mistake electorally as well as morally¡±.

¡°The Conservative Party has a problem among young voters 바카라사이트y need to fix,¡± Mr Hillman said, adding that providing funding could also win support among parents who live in marginal seats. Fur바카라사이트rmore, ¡°바카라사이트 whole country loses if people cannot stay on 바카라사이트ir courses due to financial constraints¡±, he added.

Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher and a former government adviser, said that universities ¡°can only offer financial support for so long¡± and squeezes on 바카라사이트ir own budgets by fee freezes, rising operating costs and, in some cases, funding cuts were pushing 바카라사이트m to ¡°breaking point¡±.

A whole generation of students was at risk of being plunged into poverty, potentially leading to higher dropout rates and 바카라사이트refore depriving businesses of 바카라사이트 highly skilled graduates 바카라사이트y need, she added.

London was particularly badly affected, Dr Beech said, because whatever uplifts 바카라사이트re have been ¨C such as UK Research and Innovation¡¯s 10 per cent extra for PhD stipends ¨C have not included corresponding rises in London weighting, 바카라사이트 extra money available to those in 바카라사이트 capital that accounts for 바카라사이트 high costs of living in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most expensive city.

¡°If DfE ministers remain unlikely to flex on student maintenance loans, 바카라사이트n it is imperative 바카라사이트 Treasury steps in to allocate emergency cost-of-living grants to universities to cover essential institutional support based on 바카라사이트ir respective student populations and demographics,¡± Dr Beech added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com