Students in further education (FE) rely on their own earnings or family support to meet the costs of going to college, according to a major new study by National Union of Students and Learning and Skills Network.
Without the system of loans and grants available in higher education, many FE students have no choice but to seek paid work. Nearly two thirds (62 per cent) support themselves with part-time jobs – and most of these work more than 15 hours a week.
Risk of dropping out
More than a third have considered dropping out because of the lack of financial support. Students are also worried about the impact of paid work on their college attendance and exam success.
The Report’s publication follows a separate piece of research into the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) conducted by NUS. Together, the findings paint a bleak picture of the current levels of support for learners in further education.
Research shows that despite the EMA providing an essential source of support, financial hardship is still a barrier to further education for many students. And most support schemes are not well known to potential students.
Delays in processing EMA applications this year left around 100,000 teenagers without vital funding.
Funding fiasco
NUS Vice President for Further Education, Beth Walker, said: “The widespread confusion and concern which have resulted from the recent EMA fiasco show just how important financial support is to students in further education. Many further education students struggle to get by, and some even have to drop out of their course because they cannot afford it.
“The government continually asserts its commitment to widening participation in higher education – however, students cannot get into university without going through further education first.
“Further education is not just made up of teenagers living with their parents – there are also many mature students, and students who are parents themselves, for whom the current financial support system is totally inadequate. We need to address the needs of these students, so that they too are given the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
The research was undertaken jointly by NUS and LSN this summer, to gain an up-to-date understanding of the true costs of being a further education student. The report is published this week.