Lets Get Political
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Let's be frank here-politics is something that people are talking more and more about, younger people have more opinions and more knowledge on the matter, the Scottish Independence vote threw up more questions for Britain, the protests against austerity in the last few months are getting more coverage and programmes like The Last Leg, Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You are making the subject tangible to a wider audience.
That being said, I am not really one to talk about politics; I have voted in everything I've been eligible for, I have my own views and opinions,I regularly keep up with the news but I just think sometimes it causes too much fraction and it's a very personal matter which way you vote.
However, when the budget was released a few weeks ago I couldn't help but feel a bit gutted for a nation of students when it was revealed that grants would be scrapped. I would have felt this way no matter who the government was who announced it because I was a student who was fortunate enough to receive a grant every year I was in university to help me through.
I wouldn't have been able to go to university without the grants I had which I don't need to pay back. The grants are given to students from low income families based on their parents income and are in addition to the loans and are non repayable. I came out of university 23,000 quid in debt which was scary enough already after the fees going up in 2012 and if I hadn't been fortunate to have a grant you could easily have added an extra 5 grand to the total.
I really feel for any students now who have to face university without the help of a grant. I imagine it will put many students off going to university, it would have made me think really hard about my decision, and it seems unfair to add another obstacle to students from low income families. The reason these students are given the grant is because they cannot pay their way through university and the idea of adding to their debt seems ludicrous to me.
The grants are being replaced by more loans for students from low income families but it makes no sense to me to make them the most in debt students at the end of 3 years when they were identified as being the most at risk of not being able to pay their way.
I know cuts have to be made but I hope someone comes up with a relief for students with lower incomes and that they can all have the university experience that those lucky enough to get grants did-without the financial worry.