NUS President Wes Streeting said:
“We welcome the government’s commitment to improving information, advice and guidance for talented students from poorer backgrounds, so that they may feel empowered to apply to those universities which were traditionally seen as beyond their reach.
“We also applaud the decision to treble the number of Professional and Career Development Loans available, given that graduate employment opportunities are likely be limited this year as a result of the credit crunch," he added.
Poorer students still limited
“However, the government needs to remember that opportunities for poorer students are still severely limited as a result of the cost of higher education. NUS research has shown that 53% of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds decide to attend a university which is close to their home, simply because they cannot afford to move further afield. It is no use simply encouraging poorer students to apply to more prestigious universities – the entire financial support system needs to be overhauled so that they are actually able to attend those universities.”
Read more about the New Opportunities White Paper here