Cash for UK Students

In an attempt to counter a growing barrier to studying physics, the UK’s Institute of Physics (IOP) plans to give £1000 (roughly $1800) a year to needy undergrads.

The grants would partially defray across-the-board tuition hikes that were narrowly voted in by the British government on 27 January. UK universities began charging tuition just a few years ago. The new hikes, of up to £3000 a year, will vary by campus and department.

“Physics is not the most popular subject,” says Philip Diamond, IOP’s assistant director for higher education and science. “We have a rather fragile undergraduate population. You need 40 to 50 undergraduates per year to be viable. A number of departments have been forced to close. The fee element is an enormous worry for our subject.”

Over the past 20 years, the number of physics students in the UK has remained steady—and become a shrinking portion of the overall university population, which has swelled by 50%. Says IOP president David Wallace, “The institute hopes that by offering serious cash, it can help reverse this trend as well as ensure that the brightest students are able to study what they are good at, not just what they can afford.”

The IOP is setting aside at least £800 000 for the grants and is talking about raising more. The grants will be handed out based on need as determined by the government. They—and the raised tuition—will commence in the 2006–07 academic year.