Labour’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has unveiled plans to reinstate means-tested grants for the most financially disadvantaged university students. Phillipson emphasized the importance of ensuring that universities are accessible to all, not just the affluent few. The reintroduction of university maintenance grants, which were eliminated by the Conservatives in 2016, aims to assist students from low-income households with living expenses exceeding £3,000 annually.
During the Labour Party’s annual conference, Phillipson criticized the Tories for politicizing universities and pledged to prioritize working-class youth in higher education. The new targeted maintenance grants will support students pursuing priority courses at levels four to six, including higher national diploma qualifications and undergraduate degrees. Funding for these grants will be sourced from a levy on international students attending English higher education institutions, with further details expected in the upcoming Budget announcement.
While the University College Union’s General Secretary, Jo Grady, expressed concerns about using international student fees to fund domestic student grants, Dani Payne from the Social Market Foundation commended the initiative for assisting economically disadvantaged students. Payne highlighted the financial challenges faced by many students and emphasized the importance of enabling individuals from lower-income backgrounds to pursue higher education and technical qualifications for enhanced social mobility.