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Our response to students’ cost of living challenges and how you can help
4 October 2022
As the rising cost of living puts pressure on stretched student finances, UCL is doubling down on our commitment to dismantle barriers to education, with a student support package and an appeal to our alumni community to help ensure our students succeed and thrive with us.
We know that many of our students are concerned about the rising cost of living and as a result are having to make difficult decisions and go to great lengths and effort to make ends meet. Anxiety about finances and taking on additional paid work can have a detrimental effect on students’ ability to engage with academic and extracurricular opportunities. For some students, it will affect whether they can continue to study.
At a time when more students are at risk of turning away from the higher education path, we have committed to supporting our students to achieve their full potential with UCL. In recent years enrolments have increased from groups underrepresented in our student community. But getting to UCL is just the first step. We need to make sure that every student can navigate their university journey and thrive at UCL without financial hardship holding them back.
That is why we have launched a student support package, which includes bursaries, increased doctoral stipends; emergency loans and grants; and mental health support. We have committed over £2.3m of additional support and our student support budget this year is greater than in any previous year.
Our package offers solid support, and by working together with our alumni and supporters there is so much more we can do.
At times of unprecedented challenge, we have seen the generosity of the UCL alumni community, through mentoring current and prospective students, to sharing guidance with recent graduates, and making generous financial gifts to support our students and help us to ensure that everyone in our student community has the opportunity to succeed.
While we know that nobody is immune from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis in the UK and beyond, we hope that those in our alumni and supporter community who are able to will consider supporting students who are unable to absorb the impacts of rising prices. Will you help us to respond to current pressures with a full and comprehensive package of student support?
What your support will go towards:
To speak to our team about making a gift to support our students who are facing severe pressure as the cost of living rises email advancement@ucl.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 3108 9037.
