Students are facing disruption in every one of their three years at university as the National Union of Students( NUS) backed new lecturers’ strikes. University staff have voted for industrial action, which could last for weeks, to start just before Christmas in a dispute over pensions. The vote means that students starting their third year will have endured disruption in every year of their university tenure through strikes and Covid-19. The ballot was called by the University and College Union

The Student Loans Company( SLC) is considering recommendations by customers that it change the tone of its correspondence with graduates, including the suggestion that it should adopt the manner of a “ friendly librarian ”.... Members of the panel suggested that the current tone of the SLC’s communications felt distant and “ missed personal touches, such as wishing students luck in their studies ”.... The minutes of a recent SLC board meeting report that the panel thought the tone should inste

“ But wealthy students would be virtually unaffected!... It also said DfE was continuing to consider “ the recommendations made by the Augar panel carefully ”.... The National Union of Students said it would be “ totally opposed ” to any reduction....

The proposal for seven in 10 teenagers to go on to higher education is “ condescending ”, the higher and further education minister has said. Universities minister Michelle Donelan told the PA news agency that the proposal put forward by the Tony Blair Institute for 70% of school leavers to go onto higher education was “ beyond misguided ”.... A report from the institute, published on Thursday, said that if 70% of young people completed higher education it would “ significantly ” raise national