Goal 1: Policies, processes and practices

The following page outlines specific policies, processes and practices in support of Sustainable Development Goal 1 No Poverty.

Support for low-income students

We have firm targets to admit students from the lowest 20% of household income group, reflected in our Access and Participation Plan. We also systematically track and publish progression, retention and completion outcomes for students from low-income and widening-participation backgrounds. Data on continuation and degree-completion rates are reported each year through our Access and Participation Plan (2020–25) and annual equality reports. We monitor via internal dashboards, OfS reporting metrics, and regular review of progression, continuation and retention of those students once admitted. These analyses identify trends in the outcomes of students from the lowest 20 % of household-income groups and inform the design of support schemes such as the Manchester Access Programme and Step Up Manchester.

Progression and degree-completion data for students from the lowest 20 % of household-income groups are tracked annually through our Access and Participation Plan and published by HESA and the Office for Students. Our Access and Participation Plan has graduation and completion targets for students from the lowest 20% of household income, identified using POLAR and UK government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data. We set clear targets to improve continuation, degree attainment, and progression outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds.

We monitor continuation and attainment rates annually and an assessment of our performance against these targets is included in our Access and Participation Plan.

Our current target focuses on reducing the degree attainment gap between students from the most and least advantaged groups, with progress measured through national datasets and internal monitoring. This evidence informs targeted interventions, such as financial support, mentoring, and academic development programmes designed to improve continuation and graduation rates for students from the lowest income backgrounds.

We provide a range of free and subsidised support to help students from low-income families succeed and complete their studies.

• Financial support: Students from the lowest household income groups are eligible for bursaries, scholarships, and hardship funding which provide direct financial assistance with living and study costs.
• Food support: We offer hot water for tea, coffee and meals, subsidised hot meals on campus and access to Community Fridges which provide free fresh food options, ensuring that students facing financial difficulties can access healthy food.
• Housing and Legal services: Our Legal Advice Centre provides free, confidential advice to our students. Additionally, our Manchester Student Homes housing service provides free advice and support on housing issues.
• Technology access: Through our Help me get online initiative, students who lack digital access can receive free laptops, subsidised Wi-Fi packages, or data grants to ensure they can study effectively.
• Transport: We provide free and discounted public transport options, helping students commute to campus without financial barriers.

We have a range of programmes and initiatives to assist students who fall into the bottom 20% of household income in the country to successfully complete their studies. Some of the financial initiatives we provide, includes;

The Manchester Bursary: Non-repayable bursaries of up to £2,000 per year are automatically awarded to UK students from households with an income below £25,000, helping to meet the costs of living and study.

Undergraduate Access Scholarships: Available for students who have successfully completed one of our widening participation programmes (such as the Manchester Access Programme). These scholarships provide additional non-repayable funding to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds throughout their course

Living Cost Support Fund: Offers a non-repayable grant to students facing unexpected financial pressures to support with food insecurity, utility bills and other financial hardships.

We also provide schemes to support poor students from low or lower-middle income countries. Our Equity and Merit scholarships enable exceptional students from countries such as Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda to study for a master’s degree at The University of Manchester. These awards cover full tuition fees, provide a living-cost stipend and, for on-campus scholars, fund return travel. The programme is designed for talented professionals who would be unable to study without financial support and who apply their learning to drive development in their home countries after graduation.

We also offer scholarships for undergraduate study intended to help sanctuary seekers progress into higher education under our Article 26 Scholarship programme. Alongside pre-arrival and integration support, including visa assistance and subsidised social programmes, to help students settle and thrive in Manchester.

We also participate in Commonwealth Shared Scholarships and other targeted international funding schemes that fully support students from eligible low-income Commonwealth nations. These scholarships jointly fund tuition, living costs and travel, ensuring equitable access to high-quality postgraduate education.

In addition, our Global Futures Scholarships provide partial tuition-fee awards for academically outstanding students from Africa, South Asia and Latin America; many of whom are from lower-middle-income economies.

Community support 

We provide free assistance in the local community supporting the start-up of financially and socially sustainable businesses through expanding the training and access to facilities to people in local communities. Our Masood Entrepreneurship Centre offers free resources to support the community at any stage of business planning. We have opened the Top Floor in our Manchester Museum, this hub has spaces, including a classroom, a seminar room, lounge, greenhouse, therapy room, co-working desks, community hub and a creative workshop space to be used for changemaking groups, including local startups, working across the city. This ensures local start ups are supported and have a space to come together and collaborate. In addition, through initiatives such as the Northern Triangle Mentor Network, University staff, alumni, and external partners volunteer their time to mentor local entrepreneurs, offering guidance on governance, funding, and sustainable business models.

In addition to mentoring and training, the University provides direct financial assistance to help local and social enterprises start and grow. Through the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) and the The University of Manchester Innovation Factory, we run competitive seed-funding programmes such as Venture Further which offer early-stage grants and investment to sustainable ventures emerging from the University and the wider Greater Manchester community. These schemes have supported hundreds of local entrepreneurs and social-impact start-ups, creating inclusive employment opportunities and promoting financially and environmentally sustainable business growth across the city region.

Additionally, our University of Manchester Innovation Factory deliver a competitive funding programme, Ideas With Impact, which awards early-stage founders with grants of £100,000, £50,000, and £20,000. Winners receive mentoring, networking, and guidance in translating research into viable enterprises. We also provide free and discounted support towards the premises costs for socially sustainable businesses and VCSE groups through incubation in our University Museum Top Floor initiative.

We organise training and programmes to improve access to basic services for all. Our Humanising Healthcare initiative integrates community service and engagement within our dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry programmes. Through this initiative, students deliver essential healthcare services and education to all members of the community. The Humanising Dentistry initiative, a key part of our service learning efforts, focuses on reducing health inequalities by working with different communities. It specifically aims to address the disproportionate impact of poor oral health on individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, our medical students have partnered with AskMyDoc to run blood pressure clinics in community hubs across Greater Manchester, making healthcare more accessible.

Our students also run Once a Month, a programme providing free sanitary products to those in need across Manchester, distributing menstrual products and other personal care items across shelters, food banks and support groups. We support the Homeless Healthcare Society, which trains student volunteers to improve both the access to and quality of healthcare for Manchester’s homeless population. 

Policy addressing poverty

We actively participate in policy making at local, regional, national, and global levels to support the development and implementation of programmes and policies aimed at ending poverty in all its dimensions.

Local:

Through our Local Matters project., we co-develop practical policies with museums, schools, and third-sector organisations to address poverty in cultural access and education. Our academics also advise the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on strategies tackling fuel poverty, child poverty, and inclusive economic growth.

Regional and National:

We contribute to policy development through our research on poverty indicators, family poverty, and poverty in later life. The Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group has informed national debates on pensioner poverty and welfare reform through evidence submissions to parliamentary committees.

Our Policy@Manchester has partnered with Manchester City Council on the Making Manchester Fairer strategy; a five-year plan to tackle poverty and health inequalities. Supporting by advising on research evidence, convened academic–policy roundtables, and supporting the Council’s new Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Our researchers have also co-designed and delivered training with local authorities and third-sector organisations, such as the CAPE–Manchester City Council partnership and the Cathie Marsh Institute’s applied workshops, to build capacity in measuring, analysing, and addressing poverty across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Global:

At the global level, our African Cities Research Initiative (ACRI) brings together city governments, NGOs and universities from across Africa to generate actionable research on urban poverty, inequality and inclusive growth. The initiative supports municipal and national policymakers in designing poverty-reduction and resilience strategies in cities including Nairobi, Accra, Freetown and Lilongwe. Its findings are feeding directly into local-government policy frameworks and World Bank and UN-Habitat dialogues on sustainable urban development.