Socialist Appeal - Education Grants to Working Class Families being cut

Education Grants to Working Class Families being cut

By Ed Doveton (Kirklees NUT)
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Following the government’s £50 billion plus handout to the banks and city gents, they are now short of cash. We can all expect to be forced to pay for this through higher taxes and cuts in government services, with the money from the taxes used to fund the millionaires’ bailout. For students going to university this has begun sooner than expected. This week government ministers are undertaking emergency discussions to see if they can cut government spending on grants to students from families earning less than £25,000 a year. Information indicates that they want to reduce this education spending by £100million. This of course is nothing compared to the £50 billion to the rich bankers, but the government is clearly hoping to make saving across the board so that the odd £100 millions here or there will add up to fund their bailout. The government is now talking about a freeze on student numbers and a limit on cash to the universities. For some working class students from lower income families this will just mean no more grants available – either directly or organised by the backdoor with the government limiting places available at universities. These students will just have to suffer and do without their grants – maybe they can take a loan out from the banks instead!