Students at the University of Sheffield have launched a campaign against tuition fee hikes, disparities in student loans, and a worsening student cost-of-living crisis.
The ‘Emergency General Meeting’ saw students rally behind the ‘Fight for our Future’ campaign for reforms and greater government support for higher education.
Sheffield Students’ Union President Daisy Watson, and Education Officer Maria Jose Lourido led the discussion, outlining a manifesto shaped by over 200 students.
“Students are already poorer than ever,” Daisy said. “It’s not a good time for students, and for the government and universities to allow this is unfair.”
The crisis has been fueled by a sharp decline in international student enrolment, historically a major source of university funding combined with increased staff costs and rising taxes, to which the SU say has provenly failed.
The meeting highlighted the coming impacts, such as tuition fees set to rise, bursaries being cut, and course closures are on the horizon.
Redundancies and severance schemes are already underway, leaving students to wonder how their education will be affected. The meeting also highlighted the financial struggles of the Students’ Union, which faces a £400,000 budget cut, capping funding at £3.7 million.
Maria stressed reduced support for students in financial hardship and fewer services across campus, which she says is “the most important thing we do”.
“This affects everything, from small things like Sky Sports in Bar One to vital hardship funding,” Maria explained. The SU is now operating with a £700,000 financial challenge.
Amid these growing concerns, students were urged to take action. QR codes linked to petitions and MP email templates were distributed, with campaigners demanding a £2,800 increase in maintenance loans, equal loan access for all students, and affordable housing. “We’ve seen education continue to be stripped back, and it’s always those already disadvantaged who feel it the most,” Daisy told attendees.
Calls for change are growing beyond Sheffield. The campaign has gained traction with student groups in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Durham, as well as trade unions like UCU.
The movement’s demands include raising maintenance loans, introducing monthly student loan payments, and shifting the burden of university funding away from students.
Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed and five local councillors have already voiced their support. Students were urged to email MPs to demand urgent intervention, with organisers aiming to flood every MP’s inbox with messages by next week.
Momentum is building, but some students argued that petitions alone won’t be enough. “Real change needs mass action,” one attendee said. “We need strikes, protests—something big enough to make them listen.” Others criticised the lack of focus on international students, who remain central to university funding models yet are often overlooked in these debates.
The campaign is also reaching out to Sheffield Hallam University, where student leaders say their Vice Chancellor has been more receptive to discussions on financial pressures. As the meeting wrapped up, organisers stressed the need for continued mobilisation—through flyering, canvassing, and direct engagement with students and local communities.
The goal is to get up to 10,000 signatures on the shared petition, which is hoped to be up within the next 7 days.