The battle of student finance is seemingly never ending. The coalition voted to raise tuition fees and since the Tory government came to power alone in 2015, several reforms have already been put in place. The most recent is the abolition of maintenance grants in 2016. This move has always been mired in controversy. But now, a parliamentary committee (the second to do so) has called for its reinstatement.
House of Commons Education Select Committee in Brief
Amid rumours of reform from 2019, it’s believed that the government is proposing cuts to the maximum tuition fee cost. This will save the SLC money and relieve the cost of education of students when (or if) they eventually start earning enough to pay it back. But the HoC Select Committee suggested that the government should reinstate the means tested maintenance grant abolished just two years ago, replaced by income contingent loans.
It comes in the wake of a separate investigation, this one by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. Both found the new system unfair and came to the same conclusion – that the loan should be abolished, and the grant reinstated. Both based their conclusions on the noticeable and concerning drop in the number of part time and mature students, and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who were previously an integral part of the education network.
“No Value for Money”
The committee felt in its conclusion that too many universities had simply increased their fees with no thought for whether they were, or could provide, value for money based on the higher costs. Too many students were coming away with high debts and low employability or salary prospects because the degree was not worth much, or the university’s reputation was not of a sufficient standard. They went on to state that far too many universities were not meeting the country’s skills needs while others were not providing sufficient framework for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to improve their status.
Even the Institute for Fiscal Studies previously weighed in, stating that students from poorer backgrounds were graduating with £57,000 of debt while The Trussell Trust, the poverty charity currently managing a large number of the country’s foodbanks, called for a 75% reduction in tuition fees for poorer students.
But Will the Government Change Direction?
Perhaps surprisingly, some universities came out in favour of these reports. Most notably was Sarah Stevens, The Russell Group’s Head of Policy. They previously called for the introduction of targeted maintenance grants for families from low income backgrounds. Further praise for the new report focused on the highlighted need for university outreach programmes to schools and sixth form colleges. May’s government is planning reform, but whether it will take on board these reports has yet to be seen.