RGSU submission to the 2026 Autumn Budget
Russell Group Students’ Unions represents over 750,000 students across the UK. Our students, graduates, and universities make considerable contributions to the economy each year.
80% of Russell Group graduates are in skilled employment fifteen months after they graduate, whilst 87% of first-degree graduates in employment work in growth-driving industrial strategy sectors. Our students are therefore pivotal to the future of the country’s economic growth and stability.
Despite this, students are being increasingly left behind financially and ignored as a section of the population is dire need of further support. Maintenance loans continue to fall behind inflation and household income thresholds have not been updated since 2008. Support for healthcare students continues to fall far short of acceptable and the government is threatening cuts to crucial funding for access and participation. The student loan system is in crisis.
In our submission, we urgently ask the government to support our students via the interventions across the following five areas:
Increase and Reform Student Maintenance Support
Improve equity and inclusion for disabled students, student carers, and parents
Reform the student loan system
Support healthcare and medical students
Hardship funding
Read out full submission here