4. The figures at the end of the article are misleading to say the least. These grants are usually only available to those from low income families or under special cirumstances. Students by and large do not get so much help!

RB, Hants,

Maintenance loan of up to 6475? Maybe if your family income is v low and you study in London, otherwise the figure is well under that!

e.g. the max loan I could poss get is 3000 odd. Halls are 4339...right, so how does that work exactly? The payment is due before uni so not much chance of a job!

RB, Hants,

Only 50%? I had heard that the target a few years ago, was more like 80% of the population going to university. Either way, the figure is ludicrous unless the courses are worthwhile and many uni courses have replaced tried, traditional aprrenticeships; with increasing financial burden to fund them

Laura, Woking,

I come from a middle class family with 3 kids,state educated.The loan application form for uni asked only about how much my parents earn,not how much they have had to spend on medical treatment for my sister,not covered by the nhs.What about the £300 bus passes each for my siblings?Disgraceful

wiltshire wurzel, swindon,

Do families earning £60k really need help with their children's Uni costs? Better solution: teach budgeting skills at school, then students might drink somewhat less of their cash!

The 50% at Uni target seems highly arbitrary - Uni isn't right for everyone, though all should have the option.

Sam, N Wales,

Poor background students are forced to work most days. Most have to give up their studies, or struggled to obtain a grade with debts for decades. Whose are the one who managed to go that far.
The ones earning £60000 & struggling should reconsider their lifestyle. About 6y of my earnings.

lauren, London, uk

I get the impression that Brown, Balls, Darling and Denham are more than a few degrees short of a qualification. How on earth will this measure, raising the student maintenance grant to £60,000, help the children of those in poorly paid jobs and low incomes? It is just another own goal, surely?

Kenneth Armitage, Suffolk, England

So people who pay more are actually given something in return? How terrible!

John Scott, London,

Most of these richer students will put the grant/loan money into a higher interest saving account and leave it there collecting interest so that once they graduate they leave with no debt and a little bit of profit. The poor need to use their money as well as that from working just to survive.

C Hunt, Glasgow,

I have to say as a true committed Conservative, my good lady who is a ft mature student living on campus doing a degree, is near the end of her 2nd year, and we have not taken out a student loan, and paid our uni bills.. She will leave college next year without a penny of debt.. few are so lucky..

Gaz, carlisle,

This scheme isnt going to work at all. When I come out of university I will be in around £24,000 worth of debt. I am training to be a teacher-theres no other way around that debt. Give all the money to the universities to improve and abolish students fees. Poor dont have to pay. Everything solved.

Jenny, Leeds,

University students are usually legally adult and should be treated as individual adults. They should not be damned because of the income of their parents over which the student has no control and to which they may have no access. Penalising students re parents' income is guilt by association.

SMITH, Kent,

Insulting? You have missed the point. Two students at college, one with low income parents and the other with higher income parents having differing state help is discrimiantion. They both go through the same system, study at the college and fight for same jobs, so should have same benifits/rights.

Eric, milton keynes,

Laura. As a parent, yes I earn slightly more than someone on benefits, but pay more taxes. Believe me, I have hardly any disposalble income left at the end of the month, but you suggest that I should contribute more? That's a stealth tax and not fair on me/my children. Where am I to find the money?

Eric, milton keynes,

This government wants to enslave the poor. £60000/y = £5000/month. Hard working or not, that sounds plenty and they probably own properties. While the ones on benefit usually lives in temporary accommodation, have no asset, and receive about £350/m, most of which just about pays the bills. Insulting

lauren, London, uk