In his leader's speech today at Labour Party Conference, Andy Burnham said “They {young people} have had it tougher than us, working hard, paying bills, trying to save; but looking at a student loan which never gets any smaller."

The Department for Education and the Student Loans Company (SLC) are demanding repayment of maintenance loans and childcare grants taken out by around 22,000 students who have studied weekend courses.

In response, National Union of Students (NUS), has launched a campaign to oppose these measures, which would have a massive financial impact on students that have done nothing wrong at all.

Student journalist Aurelia Loth recounts her experience at NUS's Don't Freeze Our Futures national lobby day and a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students.

Rachel Reeves claims the student loans system in England is fair - but here are 10 reasons why students are facing growing debt and inequality.

Responding to the Chancellor's comments that the student loan system is fair, Alex Stanley National Union of Students Vice President Higher Education said:

• A new report from the National Union of Students finds most parents contribute over £200 a month towards their child’s university living expenses. And 1 in 10 are contributing over £1000 a month.
• Parental income thresholds, the method used to determine how much loan a student receives, have been frozen since 2008.
• NUS: “this is the price of ambition in 2026 – and we need something to change”

The government has just announced an above inflation increase to student maintenance and that home undergraduate university students’ tuition fees will increase with inflation. 

Responding to calls from universities to increase tuition fees to solve the higher education funding deficit, Alex Stanley, Vice President Higher Education at the National Union of Students (NUS UK), said:

A new survey from the National Union of Students has found that 14% of students used foodbanks in the 2023/24 academic year, compared to 7% in 2021/22.

NUS UK has called the figures an “indictment” of the student funding system