The Wonkhe Show Erasmus+, student loans, Rhineland study tour
Jan 8, 2026
Abi Taylor, President of Durham Students' Union, Gary Hughes, CEO of Durham SU, and Mack Marshall, Wonkhe's Community and Policy Officer, dive into the exciting return of the UK to Erasmus+. They discuss the potential impacts on student mobility and equity concerns, highlighting how the program could favor wealthier students. The guests also explore the implications of a new bill on student loan payments, advocating for better financial support for students. Lastly, they share insights from their Rhineland study tour, emphasizing the importance of student engagement and learning from international peers.
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Amount And Threshold Matter More Than Timing
- The core maintenance problem is inadequate amounts and an outdated parental income threshold, not only timing.
- Repeated under-indexing to inflation has eroded student support for years.
Coordinate Housing, Loans And Guarantors
- Policy must be joined up: rent law, student finance, and international student guarantors need cross-department coordination.
- Consider government or university guarantor schemes like France to reduce commercial guarantor costs for tenants.
Transport Cuts Real Student Costs
- Transport policy is a high-impact lever to reduce student living costs beyond loan increases.
- European student rail passes and cheap monthly transit sharply lower the total cost of study.