Student Manifesto
Russell Group Students’ Unions launched its Student Manifesto in Parliament in May calling on the Government to prioritise students.
Russell Group Students’ Unions represent over 700,000 students studying in world-class, research-intensive universities across the UK.
The Manifesto highlights that students across the UK are struggling:
1 in 4 regularly go without food or basic necessities because they cannot afford them (RGSU, 2023).
Rent now accounts for almost 100% of the average student maintenance loan in England (HEPI, 2023).
Home students in England who graduated last year (2022/23) had student loan debts three times higher than students graduating in 2009 (HEPI, 2023)
Many of the issues facing students today can be solved by Government action, in a way that will create benefits for the economy and wider society.
The Manifesto highlights key issues facing students today, calling on Government to:
Commit to a full review and reform of higher education, increasing public investment in HE and reducing student fees in the long term.
Address the cost-of-living pressures experienced by students across the UK.
Strengthen the research and innovation culture in Universities.
Improve the quality and affordability of student accommodation.
Remove students from net migration targets and improve the UK visa system.
The manifesto is themed around a vision for the future of UK higher education. One in which the rising cost to be a student is not a barrier to participation, where student living environments support effective learning, where the sector is fully supported to strengthen the reputation of UK higher education globally, and where the Government meaningfully invests in the future of UK higher education.
These themes have been developed to further enable inclusive participation, protect and promote the vital role that UK Higher Education plays in shaping the future of society and the economy, and to ensure that institutions can become world leaders in sustainable teaching and research – shaping the future of our planet.
“Our student-led manifesto underlines our bold, solutions-focused vision of a sector that is accessible to all who seek to further their studies. It is the result of political decisions that students are facing the normalisation of crisis after crisis within our sector- be that through funding, housing, mental health, or even the hostile environment. Yet, we believe that through the change of direction underlined in our manifesto, Government can play an instrumental role in securing a future for higher education that works for students, staff, and universities.”
Student Manifesto 2024
Notes to editors:
Russell Group Students’ Unions represents the collective voice of the students’ unions of the Russell Group, a group consisting of the UK’s 24 leading research intensive Universities. Together, we represent more than 700,000 students across the Russell Group universities. We published the Cost of Living report last year, analysing the biggest dataset on how the cost of living crisis impacted students across the UK.
Students’ Unions are independent membership organisations and registered charities, led by elected student leaders. They are the recognised representative bodies for students at UK universities, representing the issues that most affect the lives of their members.