Open letter in support of maintenance grants for OU students

bannergovernmentgrantsletterpresident
'SU' written within a circle on a royal blue background, with red and yellow diagonal lines on the e

How would access to maintenance grants affect you? Let us know...

Dear Bridget Phillipson MP, 

We welcome your recent announcement at the Labour Party Conference regarding the reintroduction of maintenance grants for students in England. This is a development we have campaigned for over many years. 

As the representative body for the largest student group in the UK, we now urge you to take decisive action to make sure that distance learners are explicitly included in this reintroduction.   

We have already seen the positive impact of similar changes in Wales. We call on you to publicly confirm that distance learners in England will be eligible for maintenance grants, and to work with stakeholders, including Open SU, to ensure the policy is designed with their needs in mind. 

Every year, The Open University helps tens of thousands of students gain skills, confidence, and qualifications that not only transform their lives but also contribute to the UK’s economic growth.  

OU students come from a wide range of backgrounds: 

  • 25% live in the most deprived communities (IMD Quintile 1). 

  • 12% have caring responsibilities.  

  • Over two thirds work full or part-time during their studies.  

  • More than 38,900 have a disability.  

For many in our community, study at a traditional university is not possible. But they still face the same financial challenges as their peers at campus-based institutions.  

This is a vital opportunity for the government to uphold its promise to ‘support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university'. We trust you will not disadvantage students who study flexibly.

Yours faithfully, 
Natalie Baker 
President 

On behalf of Open SU