Colleges require an average of an additional £300,000 to support their students through the hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has revealed. 

According to the report by the Association of Colleges, shared exclusively with Tes, 88 per cent of colleges have evidence of increased student hardship, and 90 per cent report that their bursary and hardship funds are under more pressure as a result of Covid-19.

Around 109 colleges responded to the survey – 45 per cent of the overall number of colleges in England. 

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More than half of colleges (56 per cent) in the AoC survey reported that their existing and additional bursary funding from the Department for Education had not enabled them to purchase laptops and/or connectivity dongles to support all their disadvantaged learners. Earlier this summer, the government announced colleges should use existing budgets to support learners in need of devices or other support, but could seek additional funds from the ESFA. 

The AoC survey revealed the need for this additional funding, with the shortfall at individual institutuions ranging from £20,000 to £2,000,000 – with an average of £300,000 per college. 

The research also revealed that three-quarters of colleges (78 per cent) would need additional resources to support the provision of free college meal vouchers to current eligible students over the summer holiday period. Last week, the government announced colleges would receive an extra £73 per student to ensure they can provide learners with food support over the summer.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "Student hardship is up, colleges are unable to provide the equipment students need to access learning and many will struggle to provide free college meal vouchers over the summer. Ministers can reach for platitudes and promises to do more for further education, but the sector needs more than words right now."

Julian Gravatt, deputy chief executive of AoC, said: “The latest AoC sector survey indicates the financial challenges students and colleges are facing. Nearly 90 per cent of colleges have evidence of increased student hardship and that their bursary funds will not be able to meet these demands. The survey data indicates that an average of £300,000 of additional resources will be needed to meet this need."

Transport difficulties

Four out of five colleges also said that they anticipated major transport difficulties around September reopening. The majority of colleges (92 per cent) said they were concerned about the inadequacy of public transport, given social distancing, 50 per cent were worried about SEN student transport, 38 per cent cited insufficiency of college provided transport as as cause of concern. 

A quarter of colleges (24 per cent) also said that they were worried about traffic congestion, and 60 per cent were concerned about cost. 

David Hughes, chief executive of the AoC, wrote to transport secretary Grant Shapps at the beginning of this month calling for a U-turn on the decision to scrap free tube and bus travel for 16-18s. 

Currently, those aged 16-18 are entitled to a 16+ Zip Oyster card, which allows them to travel on buses and trams for free, and on the Tube at a 50 per cent discounted rate. However, under the new deal the government has struck with Transport for London (TfL), this card is due to be scrapped.  

Apprenticeship and skills minister Gillian Keegan said: "We are very grateful to the AoC and colleges across the country for their continued hard work to support learners over these past few difficult months.

“We have provided unprecedented support through the Job Retention Scheme, guaranteeing existing grant funding as well as the bursary and supplier relief schemes for contracted provision. We also recently announced an additional £6.5million to support providers to fund free meals for eligible FE students over the summer holidays. For colleges in significant financial difficulties, the existing support arrangements remain in place including short term solvency support through emergency funding.

“We know more needs to be done if we want our economy to grow and productivity to improve across the country. That’s last week, the Education Secretary set out our plan to invest in a high-quality further education system that will provide the skills that individuals, employers and the economy need to grow.”