Labour to reintroduce grants axed by Tories for poorest university students

Labour will reintroduce means-tested grants for the poorest university students, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced.

The Cabinet minister said universities shouldn't "just be for the wealthy few" as she vowed to take action before the end of the Parliament. University maintenance grants, which were available for students with a household income of less than £25,000, were scrapped by the Tories in 2016.

The grants, which helped those from the poorest backgrounds with living costs of over £3,000-per-year, were replaced with loans by austerity Chancellor George Osborne.

Speaking at Labour 's annual conference on Monday, Ms Phillipson said: “The Tories treated our universities as a political battleground, not a public good. Labour is putting them back in the service of working-class young people.

She added: “Last year, I took the decisive steps we needed on university finances, so opportunity is there tomorrow, for all who want it. But I know, you know, that we must do more. So that is why today I’m announcing that this Labour government will introduce new targeted maintenance grants for students who need them most.

The grants are intended to support students studying "priority courses" in levels four to six, which include the certificate of higher education and higher national diploma qualifications, and undergraduate degrees.

They will be funded by a new levy on international students, which will apply to English higher education providers only, with more information to come in this autumn's Budget.

University College Union (UCU) General Secretary Jo Grady responded: "Treating international students as cash cows to fund maintenance grants amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul.

"This country is already charging international students through the roof to prop up our crumbling education infrastructure. Instead of attacking foreign students, the Labour Government should be fixing our colleges and universities through huge public investment."

But Dani Payne of the Social Market Foundation said: "We welcome today's announcement to re-introduce maintenance grants for the poorest students. Many students are struggling with the cost of living, and ensuring those from lower income families, with less family support, can afford to study both at university and for technical qualifications is a vital step for social mobility."

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