Badenoch: cut “dead-end” courses, cut loan interest, fund apprenticeships
The Conservative leader has pledged to cut what she called dead-end university courses and reduce student loan interest rates, redirecting the savings into apprenticeships. No mechanism has been published for deciding which courses qualify, which is the part that matters: previous attempts have used graduate earnings data, which penalises subjects that lead to public-sector work. Student finance explained covers the current rules.
The 25 universities with the cheapest accommodation
A ranking of the cheapest university accommodation in the UK for 2026, which is worth reading next to this month’s rent rises: the gap between the cheapest and dearest institutions is larger than any difference in maintenance loan, and it is the single biggest lever on whether a year is affordable. Finding student housing covers the comparison.
“Decisions are imposed from the top”
Candidates across every position in one students’ union election agreed that their university consults students inadequately — a complaint that recurs because consultation usually happens after a decision is drafted. Where it works, it is because union officers sit on the committee before the paper is written. Students’ union explained covers the structures.