Ideas Forum

Welcome to the Ideas Forum! This is a place where you can submit any idea for change about your university experience or vote and comment on existing ideas.

If you can get at least 25 other students to vote for your idea, the Union officers are then able to consider it. Don't stop at 25 though - the more votes and comments an idea gets, the more power it gives us to try to action it!

Once an Idea has reached at least 25 up-votes, it will be sent to Executive Committee and/or Student Summit which are meetings where Union staff and students discuss, vote on and potentially action your idea. So don't hold back, let us know what you want us to do! (You can even post anonymously if you prefer to)

The Ideas Forum is such a direct and effective way to get your voice heard and you can use it as many times as you like during your studies - we know that your needs and wants change year on year, so use the Ideas Forum to reflect the current issues you are facing and let us know what it is you care about.

Before you post please consider the following

  • Make sure your idea clearly states what you want to change and why – things like how it would be funded, who it would apply to – give as much detail as possible. If you don’t, we may have to delete your idea or it could be rejected by students for being too vague.
  • Check to see if the idea has already been passed under the ‘ view passed ideas’ tab – we might already be working on your idea!
  • Check to see if your idea has already been posted by someone else – if so, don’t post the idea again, but vote and comment on the existing idea
  • Check to see if your idea has been rejected and why under the ‘view rejected ideas’ tab – it might mean slight changes to your post, or it might give you an insight in to how students felt about this topic.
View current Ideas View passed Ideas View Rejected Ideas View Expired Ideas

Please Note: You will need to log in to submit a new idea, or comment on an existing idea, below.

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  • 7 score
    7 votes

    Change the way bursaries are assessed

    Submitted 3 months ago by Anonymous Student Expires on 17 Mar
    Current
    • Wellbeing
    • Money
    • Equality
    1comment
    Instead of looking at household income why can't we look at disposable income that the household has. My husband earns over the threshold but we have a high mortgage because of the increase in interest rate,bank loans, full childcare costs (as again don't get any help as we "earn over the threshold") and other bills food,car fuel etc. We don't actually have any disposable income at all. It is financially difficult as a mature student with household and caring responsibilities.
Darren Cassidy
4:18pm on 28 Sep 24 This sounds like a wonderful idea to me. As disposable income can change dependant on the needs of a family such as disability, access to transport and running costs on whatever your family needs, we all use money differently. This would probably have to be documented and costed properly but I can see your position. As like you said mortgage rates and the volatility of the market currently can change peoples disposable income rapidly and they are then at a disadvantage. The student union and student hub services can offer advice and support on many things, so also see if they could help direct you somewhere you never know without an ask. I haven't as of yet made use of these services myself but I have heard from a few people already that there are options dependant on circumstances.