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London council grants for poorer university students | London council grants for poorer university students |
(35 minutes later) | |
A council in one of the poorest areas of London is offering grants of £1,500 to help young people go to university. | A council in one of the poorest areas of London is offering grants of £1,500 to help young people go to university. |
Tower Hamlets is giving bursaries to 400 teenagers in what it claims is the biggest such scheme in England. | |
The grants, from a £1.26m mayor's fund, will help the least well-off students with books and travel. | The grants, from a £1.26m mayor's fund, will help the least well-off students with books and travel. |
The east London borough's mayor, Lutfur Rahman, said he wanted to ensure that local youngsters did not see university as an unobtainable "pipe dream". | |
The project reflects concerns that young people might be deterred by the cost of going to university. | |
Last week's spending review for 2015-16 included a £100m cut in the National Scholarship Programme, introduced to support poorer students. | Last week's spending review for 2015-16 included a £100m cut in the National Scholarship Programme, introduced to support poorer students. |
Students in England are eligible for state-backed loans to cover tuition fees, which rose to a maximum of £9,000 a year last autumn. | Students in England are eligible for state-backed loans to cover tuition fees, which rose to a maximum of £9,000 a year last autumn. |
There are also bursaries to cover living costs for low-income students, although the spending review announced that these would not increase with inflation in 2015-16. | There are also bursaries to cover living costs for low-income students, although the spending review announced that these would not increase with inflation in 2015-16. |
There are scholarships available from individual universities, but such large grants from councils are unusual. | There are scholarships available from individual universities, but such large grants from councils are unusual. |
Another London borough, Southwark, also has a scholarship scheme where the council pays all of a student's tuition fees for their time at university, but numbers are limited. This year eight people were funded in this way. | Another London borough, Southwark, also has a scholarship scheme where the council pays all of a student's tuition fees for their time at university, but numbers are limited. This year eight people were funded in this way. |
Cornwall council is also planning a scheme. | Cornwall council is also planning a scheme. |
'Pipe dream' | 'Pipe dream' |
Tower Hamlets councillor Oliur Rahman said the borough's project was an "investment in the future". | Tower Hamlets councillor Oliur Rahman said the borough's project was an "investment in the future". |
"We are the first authority in the country to be backing our teenagers in such an innovative way," he said. | "We are the first authority in the country to be backing our teenagers in such an innovative way," he said. |
"Achieving a better education is better for the student, better for the student's family and better for the borough." | "Achieving a better education is better for the student, better for the student's family and better for the borough." |
Under the scheme, £1,500 will be paid in two instalments over the first two years of a student's course and the idea is that the money would pay for living costs including text books and travel. | Under the scheme, £1,500 will be paid in two instalments over the first two years of a student's course and the idea is that the money would pay for living costs including text books and travel. |
The east London council has budgeted for it to run for two years. | The east London council has budgeted for it to run for two years. |
The mayor, Lutfur Rahman, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for young people. For local teenagers who thought university was a pipe dream, I hope this scheme will change their minds." | |
Such schemes have been welcomed by the National Union of Students (NUS), which said many students could not afford to pay basic living costs. | Such schemes have been welcomed by the National Union of Students (NUS), which said many students could not afford to pay basic living costs. |
The union's Pete Mercer said: "Investment in education creates a fairer and stronger society for everyone and, at a time when opportunities for young people are being restricted, every level of government should be committed to [the idea] that young people can afford to study." | The union's Pete Mercer said: "Investment in education creates a fairer and stronger society for everyone and, at a time when opportunities for young people are being restricted, every level of government should be committed to [the idea] that young people can afford to study." |
The government argues that no one should be put off going to university because of money, because fees do not have to be paid up-front and graduates only have to pay back their loans once they earn more than £21,000 a year. | The government argues that no one should be put off going to university because of money, because fees do not have to be paid up-front and graduates only have to pay back their loans once they earn more than £21,000 a year. |