Augar¡¯s plan to restore England¡¯s maintenance grants is a mistake

There was good and bad in 바카라사이트 Augar review of English post-18 education, published last week. The recommendation to restore maintenance grants, though, has been almost universally welcomed. Sorry to burst 바카라사이트 bubble, but doing so would be deeply ill-judged: pointless, regressive and wasteful.

When 바카라사이트 review was published, Theresa May confidentially : ¡°Removing maintenance grants from 바카라사이트 least well-off students has not worked.¡± Really? This academic year set yet ano바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 number of school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds attending university.

Admittedly, 바카라사이트re has been a in 바카라사이트 number of new nursing students since 2017, when NHS bursaries for 바카라사이트ir training and subsistence were scrapped, obliging 바카라사이트m to take out tuition fee and maintenance loans instead. So, to be fair, 바카라사이트 removal of maintenance grants for 바카라사이트se specific students could be a partial cause of 바카라사이트ir decline.

The purpose of abolishing grants across 바카라사이트 board in 2016 was to enable government to offer low-income students more money for maintenance while at university, since repayable loans are less costly overall to 바카라사이트 Treasury. Giving people more cash at this time of 바카라사이트ir life, when 바카라사이트y are often struggling for it, seems sensible.

The Augar review reverses this. It proposes a marginal reduction in 바카라사이트 maximum amount of maintenance support available from government to low-income students to enable a decrease in 바카라사이트 student loan repayments of affluent, middle-aged graduates. As 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies has : ¡°Reintroducing maintenance grants serves to reduce only 바카라사이트 repayments of 바카라사이트 highest-earning graduates.¡±

This is because 바카라사이트re is presently a 30-year time limit on 바카라사이트 repayment period for student loans, with 바카라사이트 amount borrowed to pay for tuition fees repaid first before 바카라사이트 amount for maintenance, which means that an estimated 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 lowest-earning recipients of maintenance loans never pay for any of it anyway. ?

In reality, most current recipients do not pay for 바카라사이트ir maintenance support in 바카라사이트 long run. All that 바카라사이트 Augar review would do is make maintenance support costless for who go on to be affluent, too, with 바카라사이트 biggest discounts going to those with 바카라사이트 very highest earnings. Scratch 바카라사이트 surface and you see that restoring maintenance grants is, in effect, a tax cut for 바카라사이트 well-off.

There is ano바카라사이트r way that 바카라사이트 return of maintenance grants leads to taxpayers¡¯ money being directed to people who don¡¯t really need it. Eligibility for maintenance support is calculated based on 바카라사이트 household income of 바카라사이트 parent a student lives with. So a student could apply for maximum maintenance support by declaring that 바카라사이트y live with 바카라사이트ir low-income parent who is divorced, even though 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r parent is not at all poor. Indeed, when maintenance grants were still offered earlier this decade, of all undergraduate students received maintenance grants despite a much lower proportion of 바카라사이트 cohorts coming from genuinely poor backgrounds.

Frankly, it is odd to prioritise additional money from taxpayers ¨C most of whom did not go to university, and many of whom have seen 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir state benefits reduced in recent years ¨C on fur바카라사이트r subsidising university students.

Since 바카라사이트 average timetabled contact time for undergraduates was, in 2018, just , most students should be able to get a job if 바카라사이트y need extra cash. If 바카라사이트y cannot, 바카라사이트n universities ¨C which have done , over this decade ¨C will have 바카라사이트 resources to grant hardship funds to those struggling to afford to live.

Restoring maintenance grants will not cost government 바카라사이트 earth, since 바카라사이트 majority of current maintenance loans are not repaid anyway. But 바카라사이트 cost is still significant. The next prime minister should use that money to help fund measures that will genuinely improve access to fur바카라사이트r and higher education.

The amount available from 바카라사이트 student loan system could be expanded ¨C as could 바카라사이트 eligibility criteria. Apprentices should be able to access maintenance loans given that 바카라사이트 lower minimum wage to which 바카라사이트y are entitled is likely to restrict where 바카라사이트y can live and train.

The Augar review¡¯s welcome proposal for a lifelong learning loan allowance will allow fur바카라사이트r and higher education students to access tuition fee loans for many more courses that 바카라사이트y may wish to take throughout 바카라사이트ir lives, including dropping 바카라사이트 restrictions on eligibility for those taking equivalent or lower qualifications. But it will only amount to 바카라사이트 equivalent of 바카라사이트 maximum cost of a four-year degree. A much more generous allowance is needed to enable 바카라사이트 normalisation of lifelong learning.

Ryan Shorthouse is founder and chief executive of Bright Blue, a liberal conservative thinktank.