Education·4/28/2026AI summary Coalition of 14 Social Mobility Groups Urge Government to Fund Student Premium for Disadvantaged 16-19-Year-Olds
A coalition of 14 social mobility organisations is urging the UK government to introduce a 'student premium' worth £430m per year to support disadvantaged 16-19-year-olds, warning of a funding 'cliff edge' after GCSEs. The campaign, backed by the Association of School and College Leaders and the Sixth Form Colleges Association, aims to prevent vulnerable students from becoming Neet (not in education, employment or training), with numbers rising to 957,000 in the final quarter of last year.