Clamour for Tower Hamlets student bursaries after grants cut by government

More than three-quarters of the grants being offered for school-leavers in London’s East End going onto university have already been applied for—just four weeks into the three-month scheme.

Tower Hamlets council has received 324 applications so far for the Mayor’s Higher Education Award ahead of the October 11 deadline, in the face of government cuts to student grants.

The 400 bursaries worth £1,500 each are being offered to help youngsters with the cost of going on to higher education in the 2013-14 academic year.

“What a sad indictment of the government that a scheme such as ours should be necessary,” said Mayor Lutfur Rahman.

“It’s vital for youngsters to be given every possible help in reaching their goals—the government should believe so too.”

The Award is the first bursary scheme of its scale in the country, which has even won support from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Applications began on July 1, but grants are not given on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis. They are being judged on criteria of need, even if more than 400 requests are made.