Oxford students shouldn’t have to always moan about decreasing University endowments as they are all benefiting from the most generous financial support in the country, a Cherwell survey shows.
£5,100 of Oxford Opportunity Bursaries, £1,100 worth of college grants and a further array of scholarships are up for grabs for the poorest freshers at Oxford.
In contrast, students at Manchester University can not claim more than £3,000 worth of grants, whilst UCL offers a yearly bursary of £2,775.
Just last week, college accounts were released which showed millions of pounds in losses this year, with LMH, Magdalen and Balliol among the worst affected.
Students complained of limits to student privileges, such as St John’s recent decision to cap vacation residence in the college at 21 days. Another claimed that he “currently [has] no lectures this term,” attributing this to University cutbacks.
Earlier this term New College Bursar David Palfreyman warned of some “unlucky” colleges who might be unable to replace staff if they were to leave.
But one former LMH language student who rusticated last year and took up a place with UCL, told Cherwell that Oxford students complaining of funding cuts should “stop whinging and get a job”.
“They’re trying to merge language departments here, which will mean that I might not even get grammar classes next year. I’m paying thousands of pounds for ten hours of contact time,” Robinson said.
Manchester University plans to make 400-staff redundancies, while a £10 million budget deficit at Bristol could lead to up to 250 university staff being fired, from caterers to academics.
UCL, which now ranks above Oxford in the Times World University List, plans to shed 15% of staff positions, a move that has led leading academics to warn of a decline in teaching standards.
KCL has come under fire for removing a number of high-profile academics, or forcing them into retirement.
Other universities are also unable to offer the level of student support open to Oxford undergraduates.
UCL offers a bursary of £2,775 pounds for students with a household income of £11,900 or less. This is comparable to the £3,225 offered in the Oxford Opportunity Bursary to students with a home income of less than £17,999.
However, once household income reaches £16,200, UCL offers students only half of the government grant.
Aside from government grants, LSE offers a student support fund for unseen financial difficulties and general student costs.
The maximum Bristol bursary is £1230, though there is also a top up of £1100 available, and a potential hardship fund of £2450.
Manchester offers various student grants, though no student is allowed to claim more than £3000 a year. On top of the Oxford Opportunity Bursary, those from the lowest income bracket are entitled to £875 to cover the ‘start up’ of University, as well as the option of applying for an additional £1000 top-up later in the year.
The Oxford Opportunity Bursary is the most generous in the country without considering extra grants, which could give students a total award of £5,100.
Nick Jaques, Magdalen JCR vice-president, said that despite the University’s current economic difficulties, the amounts offered in student support should remain high.
“Student welfare is obviously a priority, so it is likely to be one of the last things ‘cut’,” he said.
Magdalen was shown to have one of the biggest falls in endowment funds, though the college still gave out £155,000-worth of support grants to 110 undergraduates this year.
Univ, the college reporting the highest gain over the period, in the last year handed out £130,000 in Oxford Opportunity Bursaries, £1,000 in Oxford bursaries, £15,000 in ordinary scholarships and, £5,000 in college prizes and £3,000 in book grants.
Most colleges still offer free book vouchers to matriculating students, and give cash rewards to those who achieve firsts in collections or mods.
“Oxford students want more money? But I thought that was what ‘collections’ were for?” said one London student.
