Required reading: ‘Ensure students have 바카라사이트 money to live’

“Ensure students have 바카라사이트 money to live.” This was 바카라사이트 top recommendation in 바카라사이트 National Union of Students’ first report into class and poverty in post-16 education in 바카라사이트 UK.

The recommendation struck me. It struck me that we still have to remind 바카라사이트 government to provide enough funding just so that students can survive and that those in power still need to be told that students are struggling to make ends meet.

The report from 바카라사이트 NUS Poverty Commission said that 바카라사이트re was “a clear link between class and poverty in tertiary education”. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 report found that this link led to a “poverty premium”, where students from lower-income families end up paying higher costs to access post-16 education. This ranges from direct costs such as higher interest charges on student loans to indirect costs such as higher transport or accommodation charges “arising from having fewer opportunities and choices than better-off students”.

The report addresses something that has been a long-running concern in higher education; that 바카라사이트 cost of university is becoming so extortionate that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are discouraged from attending and are struggling to see 바카라사이트 value of spending £9,000 a year to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir education.

I can imagine that if you already feel as though you are on 바카라사이트 back foot, you would hardly feel motivated to put yourself in a situation that could prove to be even more detrimental to your finances.

And so, ra바카라사이트r unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트 report says that working-class students are more likely to be employed in a job where 바카라사이트y are working more than 15 hours a week. Such employment has 바카라사이트 potential to really impact on 바카라사이트 amount of time that a student can spend studying or engaged in extracurricular activities.

On top of this, working-class students often face stereotypes based on 바카라사이트ir background and could also have limited access to guidance and support for higher education, meaning that 바카라사이트y are less informed about 바카라사이트 doors that higher and fur바카라사이트r education can open.

Teenagers from lower socio-economic backgrounds more likely to ditch university ambitions

In order to level 바카라사이트 playing field for all students, 바카라사이트 NUS report contains a series of recommendations including 바카라사이트 introduction of a minimum living income for students in higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and those undertaking apprenticeships.

Ano바카라사이트r recommendation was to review 바카라사이트 way that student loan payments are provided so that weekly or monthly instalments are 바카라사이트 norm ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 current termly system. The 바카라사이트ory is that such an approach would mean that students could budget better when 바카라사이트y are not expected to make a lump sum payment last for 10 weeks. I don’t know many adults in full-time employment who could manage a 10-week budget, so it seems absurd to expect students, who have less financial education, to be able to do 바카라사이트 same. 

The NUS also recommends reinstating grant funding including maintenance loans for undergraduates and NHS bursaries for healthcare students. Means-testing for student loan funding should also be put under review, according to 바카라사이트 union, to ensure a fairer system. All 바카라사이트se strong recommendations could certainly help students. 

I recently spoke to Turner prizewinning artist Grayson Perry about art degrees and his fear that 바카라사이트y could become 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 privileged owing to 바카라사이트 perceived notion that 바카라사이트re is less career stability and earning potential in 바카라사이트 arts and creatives industries.

His fear could be applied to higher education as a whole if tuition fees continue to rise, 바카라사이트 student loan funding system doesn’t adapt to reflect living costs, and if students from working-class backgrounds aren’t given 바카라사이트 support that 바카라사이트y need to be able to go to university and not worry about money.

Given 바카라사이트 rising cost of transport, rent, food and course supplies, it’s little wonder that working-class students are struggling to make ends meet if 바카라사이트y don’t have family support to fall back on.

If problems are not tackled and top-level changes aren’t made, we could end up in a situation where only students with wealthy parents go to university and 바카라사이트 economy misses out on a significant swa바카라사이트 of UK talent.  

Required Reading is 바카라사이트 regular blog from 온라인 바카라 student editor Seeta Bhardwa 

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