KINGSTON university students have said that they may have to quit university after George Osborne announced in July 2015 that he is going to scrap the maintenance grants which will take effect from September 2016.
Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that he is going abolish the maintenance grants for students attending next year because they are “unaffordable”, leaving potential university students and those who already study at university worried for their future.
Warda Mohammed, a second year biomedicine student, said the maintenance grant scrap is going to put a huge amount of pressure on her for the future.
She said: “It is very hard to do a degree let alone worry about funds and the grant helped me survive with the rent, buying books and other necessities. I feel this is going to affect the outcome of my degree because it is going to make me worry more about my financial situation than my education. I might have to quit university because of the grant scrap.”
Final year Kingston college student Hamda Ali said she wanted to go university but now has doubts.
“I am from a low income family and I was really looking forward to being the first person to go to university. The amount of debt I would owe after applying for a maintenance loan is too much. I think I am going to have to do an apprenticeship instead or explore other options.” said Ali.
Grace Collins, who has just graduated with a biomedicine BA from Kingston University, said the maintenance grants helped her survive at university adding that it is not fair for the government to take advantage of students who need university for their fields.
She added: “A degree is required for my field and future low income students who wish to become future chemists or pursue other professional jobs may not be able to. I do not think it is fair.”
