College students must be able to benefit from the extended free school meals scheme, former apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon has said.

Earlier this month, after a campaign by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, the Department for Education extended its free school meals vouchers scheme to feed vulnerable pupils throughout the holidays.

Although colleges do receive funding for free meals for their most disadvantaged students, the extended scheme does not currently apply to 16- to 18-year-olds.

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Speaking to Tes today, Mr Halfon, who is chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, urged the government to continue the support scheme over the summer, saying that disadvantaged FE students could not be left behind. 

“Yet again FE colleges are showing how important they are in communities across the country and in helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with extra food support during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

“It is important that those college students who are on free school meals are part of the Covid-19 summer scheme that the government has just announced. We can’t let disadvantaged FE college students be left behind.”

Mr Halfon said he would raise the issue with the relevant minister. 

Colleges providing free meals for disadvantaged students

The Sheffield College has announced that it will ring-fence £44,000 of its budget to provide disadvantaged students with free meals over the summer. 

The college is the latest FE institution to set aside money to help make sure students have access to food, despite no extra funding from the government to do so.

Angela Foulkes, chief executive and principal at The Sheffield College, said colleges played a vital role in supporting their local communities and transforming lives through learning. “That is needed more than ever in the current circumstances,” she added.

“Given the unprecedented pressures on families and the economy from Covid-19, we want to ensure that our vulnerable students can focus on preparing for their future rather than worrying about going hungry this summer,” Ms Foulkes said.

Research published by the National Union of Students (NUS) in April revealed that 33 per cent of FE students had had to cut back on their spending on food since the start of the pandemic.

A spokesperson for the NUS said: “We’re glad to see individual colleges making the right decision for students to extend their free school meal provision over the summer. Student hardship is a very real result of the pandemic, as students have lost their incomes and support.

“But we can’t leave student support down to a lottery. We need a national hardship fund, funded by the government, that everyone can access, and we need it urgently.”

Last week, both the Cornwall College Group and Yeovil College also announced that they would be providing students with free meals throughout the summer. 

The principal and chief executive at Cornwall College Group, John Evans, said that it had been inspired by Marcus Rashford’s campaign for schools, and that it was a moral duty to continue to give support to learners who need it during these unprecedented times.

In a statement on its website, Yeovil College said that it has ring-fenced money within its own budget, so it was not dependent on additional government funding to provide the meals for students. 

‘Ignoring the needs of vulnerable students’

Sammy Wright, a member of the Social Mobility Commission and vice-principal of Southmoor Academy, said that the commission was deeply concerned by the discourse around 16 to 19 education that “seems to ignore the needs of vulnerable students”. 

He said: “If anything, disadvantaged young people’s life chances are more at risk once they can make the choice to leave their courses, and when they are of an age where their families may expect or need them to be earning. This is a great example of FE colleges giving up on support from government and taking matters into their own hands.”

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said it was great to see colleges extending their free meal schemes into the holidays.

“Ensuring 16- to 18-year-olds can access free meals throughout the summer will be vital to many parents who are struggling,” he said. “We know that students having access to healthy and nutritious food supports academic achievement, better mental health and overall wellbeing. No young person should go hungry and I’m pleased to see colleges supporting communities during the summer period.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We will provide further details for further education institutions in due course.”