Student numbers fall

A survey of 182 colleges has revealed half reporting a drop in enrolments of 16- 19-year-olds.

The Association of Colleges survey also found that over half (52%) of colleges are topping up grants for students, and 56% are spending more on subsidising students’ transport costs than was the case last year.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU college lecturers’ union said that the government’s failure to come up with a proper replacement for the education maintenance allowance “has left colleges scrabbling to find the funds to keep our poorest students in education”.