UCB lifts support allowance to £6,000 | News | University College Birmingham

March 2026

Prioritising potential, not paperwork: University lifts support allowance to £6,000

By Claire Huggins

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University College Birmingham has boosted its Cost of Living Allowance to £6,000.

Building on the inaugural year of this sector-leading support, the University has strengthened its commitment to breaking down barriers to higher education and making student support guaranteed, simple and impactful.

Its Cost of Living Allowance now stands at an impressive £6,000 for new UK undergraduates, starting a three-year degree in September 2026.

The allowance is paid in instalments over the duration of the course and is non-repayable, non-means-tested and deliberately easy to access, with no complex forms or long waits for confirmation.

Study without the struggle

Students who have already received instalments of the allowance this year have seen the difference it makes. They recognise and value the guaranteed support the allowance offers. One first-year business enterprise student was clear:

“This allowance has helped in many ways but mostly, I was able to reduce my working hours and focus more on my studies.

“This had a huge positive impact on my education and work-life balance. I am able to focus and prioritise my education, make more time for studying and limit my weekly working hours.”

Another student, studying events management, added:

“It’s helped me afford everything as my student loan isn't enough.”

"It is about widening participation, removing barriers and ensuring that talent, not background, shapes our students’ future."

Professor Michael Harkin Vice-Chancellor and Principal

Real impact for real life

The bold uplift flies in the face of the wider policy environment, which has offered little relief for students. Despite rising living costs, the Spring Statement delivered no new measures on maintenance support, the student loan system or targeted cost-of-living interventions, with the national media describing the situation as a “perfect storm of economic challenges” for students.

Last year, UCB conducted its own research that showed an anticipated average increase in everyday expenses of £34 per month across the UK, while NatWest’s 2025 NatWest Student Living Index revealed that a third of the students they polled had made compromises and cutbacks on eating, heating and going out.

“As long as the cost of living for students remains challenging, the pressures facing young people will not go away. At University College Birmingham, we see this reality every day,” said Professor Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

“Raising our Cost of Living Allowance to £6,000 is a deliberate choice to stand with them.

“Whether it’s spent on travel costs, IT equipment or mobile bills, the allowance is there to help widen access to higher education and ensure students can concentrate on achieving their goals.

“It is about widening participation, removing barriers and ensuring that talent, not background, shapes our students’ future.”

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