The University of Manchester and Queen’s University Belfast are both issuing one-off cost of living payments to full-time students.
The University of Manchester are giving students £170 and Queen’s University Belfast £150.
The 93% Club Edinburgh have asked the University of Edinburgh to also make a cost-of-living payment, and have started a petition.
Andrew Wilson, President of 93% Club Edinburgh said: “We demand that the University of Edinburgh steps up and listens to our calls as the cost of living crisis worsens and as winter bites, students may face the painful choice between freezing or starving.”
93% Club Edinburgh references in their petition that University Principal Peter Mathieson received nearly £18,000 to cover living costs, with £5,000 of that money being spent on gas and electricity.
They also reference the fact that in 2021, the University of Edinburgh had a total income of £1.2 billion.
The full text of the petition is below:
Dear,
Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Colm Harmon, Vice-Principal Students,
Lucy Evans, Deputy Secretary Student Experience
The 93% Club Edinburgh is calling on the University of Edinburgh to make a cost of living payment to all students as a result of the cost of living crisis.
We are aware that the University of Manchester will be giving its full-time students £170 and its part time students £80, as a one off payment before Christmas. The University of Manchester has allocated £9m to support students. Additionally, Queens University Belfast are set to make £150 and £400 cost of living payments to their students. We believe that both of these institutions are similar in size to the University of Edinburgh in terms of student population and we, therefore, expect that Edinburgh will follow their lead.
The rising cost of living, coupled with the student housing crisis has left over half of UK university students with less than £100 a month after rent and bills (The Tab). Furthermore, student living costs have risen by 14% in the last year, whereas government funding has only increased by 2.3% (Fe News).
Students have been systematically left out of government support schemes and we believe that the university has a duty of care to step in and provide support.
In 2021, the University of Edinburgh had a total income of £1.2bn. It was revealed in October that Peter Mathieson the University Principal is paid nearly £18,000 a year on top of his £324,000 salary to cover his living costs, including over £5,000 on gas and electricity (The Tab Edinburgh). Meanwhile, students have been left with no extra targeted support in the face of rising food and fuel costs and inflation at over 10%.
Although we welcome the fact that more money has been made available via the University’s Hardship Fund, there needs to be an acknowledgment that this crisis is affecting each and every student and goes beyond what the Hardship Fund can offer. The University cannot wait for students to reach the crisis point before they can reach out or receive any financial help.We are calling on the University of Edinburgh to match or surpass the University of Manchester or Queens University Belfast cost of living payment to students. This crisis has reached a tipping point, if all students do not get immediate support before Christmas, we believe that students may face the painful choice between freezing or starving.
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