{"value":{"id":1817010,"askingMemberId":4828,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2025-06-26T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2025-06-30T00:00:00","uin":"63124","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support university students with the cost of living.","answeringBodyId":60,"answeringBodyName":"Department for Education","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":false,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":4698,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2025-07-04T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>The government recognises the impact that the cost-of-living crisis has had on students.</p><p>The government has therefore announced that maximum loans for living costs will increase by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year. A 3.1% increase is in line with forecast inflation based on the Retail Prices Index Excluding Mortgage (RPIX) inflation index.</p><p>We continue to provide means-tested non-repayable grants to low-income full-time students with children and adults who are financially dependent on them.</p><p>In addition, students with disabilities can apply for non-means tested disabled students’ allowance to support additional disability-related study costs. For the 2025/26 academic year, maximum dependants’ grants and disabled students’ allowance are being increased by 3.1%.</p><p>Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses also qualify for additional non-repayable grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.</p><p>The department aims to publish our plans for higher education reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White paper in the summer, and work with the sector and the Office for Students to deliver the change that the country needs.</p><p> </p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Students: Cost of Living","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/1817010","method":"GET"}]}