As I posted before, my mum was a disabled widow
many of those like me who grew up very poor would never have gone to uni if it meant taking out a loan
I only went because I had all fees paid and a full grant, from BSC to PhD
"Help" wouldn't have been enough, only being fully financed could make up for not taking the safe job at Boots that family pushed when I was 17.
Free uni changed my life
I escaped from great poverty and later rescued my mum from poverty too
There were so many barriers, so much discouragement from those around me:
"ideas above your station", "snooty", "get a job at 18 and support your mum" ...
I had no network to help, no role models
and when you're poor you have a horror of debt, because you've seen that poor people get trapped by debt and can't get out of it like the mc can.
yes, I know a degree is supposed to open doors, but when you're poor you aren't really sure that will ever be true for you
Free uni may reduce costs for the rich minority, but it can massively change lives for the poorest
Fees were paid for everyone, but the maintenance grant was means tested, so better off families had to chip in.
No system is perfect, but that actually worked for poor students.