We’re working hard to #CutTheCosts
As you may be aware, the Conservative Government announced removing the maintenance grant in the emergency Budget on the 8th of July.
The grant - £3,387 per year – supports students from families who have an annual income of £25,000 or less with their living costs while at University. A huge 30% of University of Liverpool students receive and depend on this grant each year – which is one of the highest percentages in the Russell Group.
It has been proposed that this grant will stop for new students from September 2016, and it will be replaced with a maintenance loan of up to £8,200 each year which students must pay back once they leave University.
We’re really concerned about this. We don’t think adding to the ever growing debt students face when they leave University is the right solution, and research from the National Union of Students (NUS) has confirmed that a third of students have said removing the maintenance grant will stop them going to University.
What we are going to do about it
We are joining forces with other Students’ Unions across the country to take part in the NUS’ #CutTheCosts campaign and its national day of action on Friday 18th September.
On this day, we will come together with other Liverpool students’ unions and meet some of our local MPs to encourage them to raise this in Parliament. We want them to understand just how crucial this money is, and to ultimately decide against removing this grant.
We will keep you updated on our progress. In the meantime, you can find out more about the NUS’ #CutTheCosts campaign here.
Do you receive the maintenance grant? How would it affect you if it was removed? Contact one of us with your stories.
