Almost 300,000 students will be gravely impacted by the cost-of-living crisis if financial support is not introduced, new analysis has warned. A report by MillionPlus, the association for modern universities in the UK, said a student recruitment and retention crisis could be created if the challenges facing students are not addressed.
In its report, Learning with the lights off: students and the cost-of-living crisis, the organisation welcomed a raft of measures from institutions to mitigate the financial strain facing the UK’s poorest students. However, key recommendations have been proposed for the UK Government, the Office for Students and the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).
It recommends immediate increases to student maintenance grants, hardship funds and better inclusion of students in wider cost-of-living support measures announced in September. Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, vice-chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University and chair of MillionPlus, said: “While the cost-of-living crisis will affect students from all backgrounds, it is clear from this analysis that it will have the greatest impact on those students who were already facing significant cost pressures.
