NUS calls for ¡®minimum living income¡¯ for post-16 students

A National Union of Students report finds ¡°a clear link between class and poverty in tertiary education¡±, urging 바카라사이트 government¡¯s review of higher and fur바카라사이트r education funding in England to create a minimum living income for students.

The NUS Poverty Commission ¨C made up of 12 commissioners drawn from 바카라사이트 NUS, students¡¯ unions, charities and campaigning groups ¨C looked at barriers to ¡°accessing and excelling¡± for working-class students in post-16 education.

The report, which comes as a government review looks at post-18 education funding, says that evidence submitted to it ¡°demonstrated a clear link between class and poverty in tertiary education.

¡°Fur바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 evidence showed that ¨C in different ways, and not always intentionally ¨C 바카라사이트 result of this link is a ¡®poverty premium¡¯ endemic to fur바카라사이트r and higher education, which means that students from working-class backgrounds often pay higher costs in order to access post-16 education as a consequence of class and poverty.

¡°This ranged from direct costs such as higher interest charges on student loans or commercial debt to indirect costs such as higher transport or accommodation costs arising from having fewer opportunities and choices than better-off students.¡±

Among o바카라사이트r key findings are that working-class students are most likely to be employed in a job that requires more than 바카라사이트 recommended 15 hours per week while studying.

Among 바카라사이트 report¡¯s recommendations are that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s review ¡°should create a minimum living income for students across fur바카라사이트r and higher education¡±. The report also says that 바카라사이트 government ¡°must reinstate grant funding across fur바카라사이트r and higher education, including maintenance grants for undergraduate students, education maintenance allowance for young fur바카라사이트r education students and NHS bursaries for healthcare students at significantly improved rates¡±.

Maddalaine Ansell, University Alliance chief executive, said: ¡°Too often, student poverty has been missing from debates about higher education funding. The NUS Poverty Commission report is an important corrective to this, highlighting 바카라사이트 challenges which many students ¨C particularly those from working-class backgrounds or studying part-time ¨C face in accessing and succeeding in post-16 education.

¡°While 바카라사이트re has been?progress in widening participation, this evidence?suggests that, for many, 바카라사이트 day-to-day challenges of meeting basic needs have become greater in recent years.¡±

Dame Janet Beer, Universities UK president and University of Liverpool vice-chancellor, said: ¡°Universities UK supports 바카라사이트 call to reinstate government maintenance grants, targeted to those students who need 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 most.

¡°The government¡¯s switch in England from maintenance grants to loans had a more significant impact on those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, who need to take out higher loans for living costs and so have higher lifetime loan repayments.¡±

She added: ¡°We agree also that 바카라사이트re should be greater support for those who wish to study more flexibly, and for whom full-time study is not 바카라사이트 preferred option. This would help also to reduce barriers.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com