Postgraduate students aren't entitled to any extra loans or grants from Student Finance except for the Tuition Fee Loan, which unless you have an extra £10,906 in your back pocket is used to pay your tuition fees.

Not all students are fresh out of college 20 year olds and there are a decent portion of postgraduate students that have families and responsibilities. They are not entitled to any of the extra finance that an undergraduate student is, that would help towards living costs and childcare. So travel, childcare, etc.. has to be paid for themselves, among the other costs incurred with uni life.  It's not fair!

I would like:

• Leeds Beckett University to reduce the wait for processing decisions when students apply to the hardship fund. The purpose of this loan is for students to access a bit of extra money because their personal circumstances don't allow for them not to struggle. If you're struggling in the first place, having to wait at least 20 working days for a decision isn't fair.
   
• Leeds Beckett SU to lobby the University and/or government to provide appropriate funding opportunities for postgraduate students with dependants beyond the tuition fee loan. We are not currently entitled to Parent Learning Allowance or even the Childcare Grant, and even working alongside any money received through Universal Credit is not enough to fund everything necessary. Extra grants should be available to postgraduate students even if it is on a means tested basis.