Five leading UK education bodies have joined forces in an attempt to reinstate and extend student maintenance grants.
On Friday November 22, representatives of students across the country protested that the next government “must” reintroduce non-repayable funding.
These grants were abolished by government in the 2015 Budget and replaced with maintenance loans which students are expected to pay back once they have graduated.
According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, students who qualified for the highest level of allowances will carry `£57,000 of debt before they leave university.
NTU Graphic Design student Megan Cotterill felt that the return of non-repayable funding would be very beneficial to her in her first year at university.
She said: “Starting university is stressful enough, let alone when you’ve got to pay for so many things like accommodation, food and transport.
“I think introducing grants would help students worry less about money and more about their education.
“Especially if they come from a less privileged background,” she added.
Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “With a maintenance loan it’s helpful, but the fact that you will one day have to pay it off is always in the back of your mind.
“It would be nice to know that the government are supporting students.
“It may even encourage more students to join university who may have previously been put off by heavy debts.”
Within the UK, English students graduate with the highest overall debts.
Their peers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland benefit from their governments having maintained or increased their grant allowances.
NUS National President, Zamzam Ibrahim said: “restoring and extending maintenance funding is fundamentally a question of justice.
“Scrapping grants was an ideological move from a Conservative government desperate to shrink access to education and penalise the poorest for their ambition.”
His Vice President, Claire Sosienski added: “we are only reinforcing inequality.”
The group have also called for funding to cover all level four, five and six qualifications, both technical and non-technical.
They believe the government should increase the amount annually with inflation and take into account the rises in cost of living since the grant was scrapped.
Bill Rammel, Chair of Million Plus, a group who champion the role of universities, raised the issue of older student population.
“Mature students who need or choose to study flexibly also need proper maintenance support.
“Experience recently in Wales shows that grants for this important group of students has helped boost the take up of flexible study for adults enormously.”
The education associations represent seven million students in over 100 universities and 300 colleges.
By Helen Dubber