The current student finance system is placing unfair financial pressure on families and limiting opportunities for young people.

Today, a student’s maintenance loan is heavily based on their parents’ income. On paper, this may seem reasonable. In reality, it ignores the true financial situation of many households.

 Families who are classed as “high income” often face significant outgoings—mortgages or rent, energy bills, food costs, debt repayments, and supporting other children. Once these essential expenses are paid, there is often very little left.
Despite this, parents are expected to make up the shortfall when students receive reduced maintenance loans. This can mean finding hundreds of pounds each month—something many simply cannot afford without putting themselves into financial hardship.

At the same time, when a young person turns 18 or progresses to university, support such as Child Benefit stops because they are considered financially independent adults. Yet the system continues to treat them as dependent when calculating student finance. This contradiction is both unfair and illogical.

As a result, many students are forced to reconsider going to university, not because of their ability or ambition, but because of their family’s financial situation. Others go ahead, knowing their parents will struggle to support them.

No young person should be denied access to higher education due to an assessment system that does not reflect real-life finances. Likewise, no parent should be pushed into financial insecurity to support their child’s education.

We call on the government to:
Review how household income is assessed, taking into account real living costs and financial commitments
Increase maintenance support so it reflects the true cost of living
Reduce reliance on parental contributions for adult students
Ensure fair access to higher education for all, regardless of family circumstances
The system must change to reflect reality—so that opportunity is based on potential, not parental income.