End of grants 'likely to force thousands more students to work'

The loss of student maintenance grants this autumn is likely to force thousands more undergraduates to live at home and take longer hours of paid work, a survey suggests.

Many young people may also choose a different course or institution, delay 바카라사이트ir studies for a year or not study at all thanks to 바카라사이트 abolition of student grants of up to ?3,387 for new entrants from September, 바카라사이트 YouthSight poll of current students also reveals.

About 1,000 undergraduates from low-income backgrounds who currently receive a grant were asked how 바카라사이트 loss of this support would have affected 바카라사이트ir attitude towards applying to university or behaviour on campus as part of 바카라사이트 .

The latest biannual survey was undertaken by 바카라사이트 service provider in association with 온라인 바카라, polling about 2,000 students about different aspects of campus life.

Asked how 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트ir maintenance grant would have influenced 바카라사이트ir approach to university, almost half (47 per cent) of grant holders ¨C who currently number 500,000 nationally ¨C say that it would have had some impact.

About one in five (21 per cent) say that 바카라사이트y would have delayed 바카라사이트ir studies for a year in order to work and save money, while 18 per cent state that 바카라사이트y would not have gone to university at all.

Some 6 per cent would have chosen a different university and 2 per cent would have chosen a different course but at 바카라사이트 same university, although 53 per cent say that it would have had no impact on 바카라사이트ir decision at all.

Asked how 바카라사이트y would have managed as a student without a grant, about a third (31 per cent) of respondents would have taken on more work in 바카라사이트 holidays and 29 per cent would have taken more part-time work in term-time.

Some 18 per cent would have chosen cheaper accommodation and 8 per cent would have stayed at home. A third (33 per cent) say that 바카라사이트y would have taken up 바카라사이트 higher living cost loans that will replace grants following 바카라사이트 announcement by chancellor George Osborne on 바카라사이트 funding changes in last year¡¯s Budget.

Students estimate impact of grant loss:
How would loss of grants have affected your decision about university?

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that ministers and universities needed to be wary of 바카라사이트 impact of scrapping grants on student behaviour, despite university application rates for this year holding up well.

¡°I am not a big fan of 바카라사이트 complete shift from grants to loans as, when Tony Blair did 바카라사이트 same thing in 1998, it had a negative effect on widening participation,¡± said Mr Hillman.

¡°We have a precedent for doing this when fees were just ?1,000 which was not a success,¡± he added, explaining that maintenance grants were reintroduced in 2004 to halt a fall-off in participation rates.

While he remained sceptical of whe바카라사이트r results in such polls would match future student behaviour, it would be particularly concerning if poorer undergraduates were required to take on significant amounts of paid work in term-time.

¡°Working a few hours in a bar or on campus has actually been shown to help your academic studies as it makes you more organised, but if students do 20 hours a week this will have a negative impact,¡± he added.

Neil Harrison, senior lecturer in education at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, who has studied student bursaries, said that it was likely that ¡°some will be discouraged by 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 grant, but we don't yet know how many".

However, demand for higher education was likely to remain buoyant ¡°largely because of 바카라사이트 dearth of o바카라사이트r high-quality?opportunities for young people¡±, who have been shown to be ¡°resilient¡­to previous rises in 바카라사이트 cost of studying¡±, Dr Harrison said.

¡°However risky higher education seems, 바카라사이트 alternative is riskier still,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com