Postgraduate: A PhD in poverty

Students taking doctorates are suffering from widespread financial cuts

Researchers often say they are doing a PhD because of their commitment to the subject. But students' representatives are warning that funding problems are severely testing that zeal.

The National Postgraduate Committee (NPC), which represents research students, believes that cuts in higher education spending are having a disproportionate impact. Postgraduates' incomes are affected on several fronts, according to Ewan Gillon, the committee's general secretary. There is evidence that the teaching hours of students has been reduced, that some universities have cut the hourly rate, and that in a few cases they claim that they can no longer pay. Some universities no longer pay postgraduates for time spent on preparation and marking, which can take as long as teaching.

Budgets for essentials, such as books and laboratory equipment, are also under pressure. Fewer books in a university library mean that students have to make more photocopies, or borrow material from other universities. Neither is free. This is a problem for doctoral researchers, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Spending on equipment has fallen dramatically, too. Earlier this month the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals said that universities needed to spend almost pounds 500m more just to bring priority items up to date. Even a shortage of something as simple as test tubes can lead to serious delays.

Some equipment is funded by the research councils' research training support grant, but there is evidence that universities sometimes hold back some of the money and the research councils want to encourage students facing equipment problems to ask their supervisors to draw on it.

Pressure on university funds coincides with a reorganisation by the research councils over the way they fund postgraduates' stipends. The changes, billed by the councils as administrative, cover allowances over and above the standard award. David Brown, who headed the working party that reorganised the system, describes the changes as "revenue-neutral". They cover students starting their studies in the 1996-97 academic year, although the Economic and Social Research Council introduced similar measures earlier.

In the past, separate additional payments were, as a rule, given to students aged 23 or older, up to a maximum of pounds 1,135 for those over 25. A further allowance was payable to students with relevant work experience prior to their PhDs. Under the new system there is one combined award for students aged 26 or above at the start of their course. The award, at pounds 1,400 a year, is higher than the previous age allowance, but students aged 23, 24 or 25 will receive no extra payments.

Moreover, a student of 27, who had held a relevant job since graduating, would have received pounds 1,135 because of his age and pounds 2,105 because of his experience. Instead, she or he will now be paid the single pounds l,400 allowance. Over three years this "revenue-neutral" change costs some students as much as pounds 5,520.

The research councils have also altered the allowances paid to students with dependents. Under the new system no money is paid for a dependant spouse or partner. A student with sole financial responsibility for a child now receives pounds l,700 for the first child: down from roughly pounds 1,970. An additional pounds 1,000 is paid for additional children; before, there was no maximum, with an award of between pounds 4l0 and pounds l,565 depending on the age of the child.

The number affected is not large but those who are, are most in need of support, according to Mr Gillon. "It's a classic case of the disadvantaged being disadvantaged further," he says.

Mr Brown admits some students will be hit. But he says that the hands of funding bodies are tied because there is no additional money and they must concentrate on priorities. "We are research funding agencies, we are not benefit agencies," he says. "We are not in the game of safety- netting problems in the social security system.

"We do not want people to be put on the poverty lines. The intention was not to make the current population of studentship holders any worse off but there will be differences between new recruits and people already in the system."

A further concern is that universities, which award a growing number of their own studentships, are being more zealous than the research councils in cutting awards.

The research councils say that they will spend the same total sum on awards but some universities choose to ignore additional allowances altogether to save money. The NPC believes this trend will grow: the research funding system rewards institutions that attract more doctoral students, so there is an incentive to spread available funds more thinly.

Mr Gillon says that the human impact of the changes has been underestimated. He said: "Funding is a significant problem. It is quite traumatic listening to individuals' tales. People's lives are being ruined by money."