Graduates who fail to repay their student loans on time could be prosecuted, the universities minister has announced. Jo Johnson has announced that the government will have “zero tolerance” for anyone found to be deliberately avoiding repayments of their student debt. It is also working to improve its information on ex-students now living and working…
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US Election Countdown – 23rd February
The American presidential race is now in full swing, and whilst the propaganda machines are in full swing ahead of the so-called Super Tuesday on 1st March – the biggest day in the election calendar thus far, when 15 caucuses or primary votes are held – analysts and pundits are still reluctant to share their…
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New visa plans for international students
International students could find it harder to gain places at UK universities, should new visa plans be approved. The plans, currently being examined by the Home Office (HO), have been put forward despite claims from Universities UK that HO research indicated only 2% of students currently fail to comply with their visa requirements. The new…
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Student grants scrapped
Maintenance grants for students from lower income households have been scrapped by the government after MPs voted in favour of new plans last week. Students from low-income households will from September be entitled to a larger loan, but this must be repaid. The government originally attempted to push through the proposal without a full House…
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Government proposes to exempt universities from freedom of information requests
The higher education green paper published this month by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills includes proposals to make universities exempt from freedom of information laws. The government’s further education agenda includes the suggestion that universities and education providers should not be classified as public bodies and therefore they paper, entitled “Higher education: teaching…
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Students protest against government decsion to scrap maintenance grants
Students marched through London on 4th November to protest against the government’s decision to scrap maintenance grants from 2016. The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, who organised the campaign, estimated that more than 10,000 students attended the protest, while “#GrantsNotDebt” trended on Twitter during the day. The campaign organisers said that students from around…
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Fossil Free UEA protestors occupy campus
With additional reporting by Jessica Frank-Keyes, and comment by Daniel Jeakins. On November 5th campaigning UEA students occupied the area outside the Vice Chancellor’s office in protest that the University of East Anglia currently holds over £130,000 worth of shares in fossil fuel companies, including Shell and Rio Tinto, despite its status as a world…
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Students want to see lecturer qualifications
A recent online poll has revealed that many students believe university lecturers’ qualifications should be made public. The Student Room, a popular online student community that attracts over eight million visitors each month, surveyed 500 university students from the UK between 11th and 26th September 2015, finding that 77% of those polled believed that the…
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Was #sombrerogate really as serious as it seemed?
So, if you’re not Mexican and you wear a sombrero you’re engaging in “cultural appropriation” and preventing “equal opportunities”. Who knew? Evidently not Pedro’s Mexican Cantina, who last week were caught red- handed handing out sombreros to the students at the welcome fair. Thank God the student union were able to put a stop to…
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