In conversation with Nouse, Union Affairs Officer Lewis Parrey outlined his plans to try and lobby the government for regionally-tested maintenance loans in the wake of tuition fee rises:
“Its something I’ve been working on for the last couple of the weeks, and is in the works so I can’t speak too much about the whole thing, but I’m working with Student Unions across the country, reaching out to vice-chancellors, MP’s, charities and other organisations to see how we can lobby the government.”
York is ranked as one of the most expensive University cities, with students paying an average of £900 per month on rent. However in Hull, less than an hour away, the average monthly rent is £560.
Parrey supports the London tested fee, for which the maximum maintenance loan is a higher rate of £13,348, as opposed to the general maximum of £10,227, but wants to see it expanded, telling Nouse: “if you are a student in London for example, you have access to a higher maintenance loan due to the cost of living there, which totally makes sense, yet everywhere else in the country is treated exactly the same, we know that this just isn’t right.”
Parrey further expressed his concern for students already at the University, and those who may want to attend: “I don’t think you should be financially punished for choosing a university in a city that is more expensive than others, people should be free to study wherever they want.”
When asked how this plan would come into fruition, Parrey told us: “I don’t want to do the government’s job for them, it's up to them to decide, but I think we need a ranked/tiered system depending on how expensive they [the universities] are, based on rent, bills and cost of doing a food shop. That should be taken into consideration in the same way that living at home and parental income is, the regional aspect should be another criteria considered.”
In a recent poll run by Nouse, 69% of students believed that the government should step up and help universities facing financial difficulties. Parrey agreed with this, stating: “there needs to be some funding directly from the government, as universities cannot continue in this way without something significant to help them out, we need investment in the future of education in this country.” Parrey went on to state how the University was “crying out” for funding.
Whilst tuition fees are rising, they are not believed to be enough to extricate the University from its financial crisis. The rise of NI contributions for employers announced in the recent budget, which is expected to cost universities at least three million, whilst the rise of tuition fees is predicted to only raise around two and a half million.
Parrey expressed his concerns about students feeling their degree was worth the money: “a lot of students already feel like the course they get across the country isn’t worth the money that they’re paying for it, I certainly felt that myself.”
The University’s route out of its current financial mire remains unclear, but Parrey hopes to continue his national campaign for regionally means tested maintenance loans to ease the burden for financially students, and ensure that universities like York remain accessible for students from a vast range of backgrounds.
