Thirty ways in which universities have been getting the costs of study down

Great news folks. As well as putting extra money into bursaries and hardship funds, lots of universities have been trying to get the cost of being a student down.

It’s long been important to try to do so – the way in which the cost of things sets “norms” on campus that the occasional handout can’t really fix matters for inclusion. So I’m hoping that we can find a way to sustain some of the progress made in recent weeks on considering just how expensive it’s become to be a student.

I won’t underestimate just how difficult this has been in some cases. Plenty of universities are closer to the edge on financial sustainability than some in the sector (quoting aggregate positions) suggest – and with the crisis set to last for a long time, plenty of Finance Directors are chewing nails about commitments that might need to last for a few years yet.