Latest news: Government plans to slash student funding

Office for Fair Access (OFFA) figures show that bursary and scholarship spending on poorer university students will fall by £83million, according to the National Union of Students (NUS). 04/07/2012

OFFA's report shows that a total of £358.5million was spent on scholarships and bursaries in 2010/11, a figure which is to be downsized to £275.4million by 2015.

The NUS analysis also points to the fact that the government's £150million of National Scholarship Programme funding will be swallowed up to help fund £245.3million of fee waivers.

Waivers have been heavily criticised by the NUS, as the benefit does not reach students in study, but instead helps higher earning graduates as they pay off their student loans.

Liam Burns, the NUS president, said, 'Rather than correct the problems of cash not reaching those who need it most, the problem will get worse by 2015.'

'Every penny of the flagship National Scholarship Programme will be used by the sector to offer fee waivers, the benefit of which students will never see. This channelling of money out of students' pockets to get government borrowing down by the back door is nothing short of daylight robbery.'

Burns added, 'Many of those students most in need of support will be failed as a direct result of a regulator that thinks we will get more poor kids into uni by cutting the cash in their pockets. New leadership for OFFA and a rethink of access agreements and student support cannot come a day too soon.'