UNISON has condemned suggestions that the government could hit grant funding for students from low income households.
Earlier this month, Chancellor George Osborne announced that the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education faced cuts in year cuts of £900m.
Leaked proposals now suggest that funding for Student Support Grants to poorer students and the Student Opportunity Allocation are both under threat.
Currently more than 500,000 students in England from households with incomes of £25,000 or less receive £3,387 maintenance grant each year. Proposals to remove the grant, restrict eligibility or convert a portion to a loan would cut funding by up to £2billion pounds over three years.
The Student Opportunity Allocation funding helps universities to recruit and support students from “disadvantaged” backgrounds to access higher education.
The budget for the fund for 2015-16 is currently £364.2m. The funding is targeted towards students to widen access, support students with disabilities and help students at risk of dropping out.
National Union of Students vice president Megan Dunn said cutting maintenance grants would be detrimental to poorer students and could deter people from applying to university: “If grants are cut it could mean that student loans go up for everyone or repayment conditions will get tougher than they already are.
“We will campaign with all other interested organisations to oppose any attempts to cut support to poorer students wishing to study at university.”
UNISON’s national secretary for education Jon Richards said: “Attacks on the funding to support students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds is an outrage and goes against the Robbins principle that higher education should be available for all those who are qualified and wish to study, regardless of their social or economic background.
“This government talks of aspiration and opening up access yet constantly looks to cut support for low income families. Having cut the Education Maintenance Allowance for further education students they are now targetting vital support to improve access for the children of lower paid workers.”