The Universities Secretary John Denham admitted in a written statement on Wednesday that funding for student grants would be cut because the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills had underestimated the number of students who would be applying for university this year.
The government has decided to cut the eligibility threshold for partial grants from £60,000 household income to £50,020 in order to plug the shortfall of £100 million. The announcement means up to 10 per cent of next year’s new students could lose out, while current students will not be affected.
Middle income students at risk
NUS President Wes Streeting said: “Obviously, it very good news that more students from lower income families will be going to university. However, the measures laid out by the government to compensate for this will inevitably hit new students from middle income families at a time when they are struggling to cope with the impact of the credit crunch.
“The government needs to stop tinkering with grants and fees every year, and recognise that the entire higher education funding system is unsustainable. We need a proper review of the system so that parents and students know where they stand."