The subject of student debt keeps coming up. 

Yet the reasons of the debt are certainly no longer being attributed to the age old student stereotype of too many parties and out of hours activities.  Instead, the blame is sternly being placed at the door of government.  In particular, those responsible for the distribution – or lack of distribution, of student grants.

We’re already half way through the student year and the National Union of Students (NUS) are confirming around 28,500 school leavers are still waiting to receive their student grants.  Still?!!  Appalling.

It’s bad enough we live in a society where university is quickly becoming a class system – only those with the funds to go there, are the ones privileged to receive such a high class education.  And for those without the funds?  Those with the right level of desire, potential and intellect, but reliant on grants to afford the cost of this education, are having to opt into debt into order to follow this path, whilst they wait, wait and wait some more for the grants promised.  I wonder – are government adding the loan interest to the grant payments for those affected?  I doubt it.

September 2009 saw 16% of student loan applications waiting to be processed.  I can only imagine with a six month delay on the distribution of grants this figure will have substantially increased?  What a way to start their adult life!

Come on now – surely we can do better than this for our children?