Response to Treasury Committee inquiry on student loans and taxation of graduates (2026)
Arts Students’ Union has submitted evidence to the House of Commons Treasury Committee’s inquiry into student loan repayment terms and the taxation of graduates.
Our response highlights how the current student finance system can particularly affect arts students and creative graduates, who are more likely to enter freelance, portfolio or self-employed careers and experience lower or less predictable earnings during the early stages of their careers. We argue that student finance should be fairer, more transparent and better reflect the realities of different graduate career paths.
We called for an end to above-inflation interest on student loans, protection against retrospective changes to repayment terms, clearer information and consumer protections for borrowers, and greater recognition of how student loan repayments interact with graduates’ wider tax burden. We also argued that repayment structures should better accommodate irregular and freelance incomes. Arts SU’s long-term position remains that higher education should be publicly funded and free at the point of access.
View the report here.
Response to Government consultation on Make Work Pay: Fire and Rehire (2026)
Arts Students’ Union responded to the Department for Business and Trade consultation on proposed changes to protections against “fire and rehire”, focusing particularly on expenses, benefits and shift patterns.
Our response highlighted the particular risks for students and early-career creative workers, who are often employed in casual, insecure or shift-based work alongside their studies. Arts SU’s Name Your Price research found that 67% of our members undertake paid work while studying, with many working in sectors such as hospitality, events and cultural venues where unpredictable hours and non-wage benefits can have a significant impact on whether work is financially viable.
We argued that essential expenses and benefits such as travel, accommodation and meals should be protected where removing them would effectively reduce workers’ pay. We also called for protections around shift patterns to extend beyond only the most extreme changes, recognising the impact of short-notice scheduling, unpredictable hours and loss of regular shifts on students’ ability to balance work and study. Our response also urged the Government to ensure protections work effectively for young and insecure workers, consider the impact on access and equality, and avoid narrow definitions that could allow employers to circumvent the new rules.
View the report here.
Response to Making Work Pay Consultation on Tipping (2026)
Arts Students’ Union has submitted a response to the Government’s consultation on strengthening the law on tipping as part of the wider Making Work Pay programme.
Drawing on our research into students’ experiences of work alongside study, as well as the realities of early careers in the creative industries, we made a series of recommendations focused on improving transparency, fairness, and worker protections for students and graduates working in hospitality, events, and cultural venues.
Our response highlighted the importance of clear tipping policies, fair distribution of tips and service charges, and stronger protections for workers on insecure or casual contracts, particularly those balancing employment with study or portfolio creative careers.
View the report here.
Response to Integrated National Transport Strategy (2025)
Arts Students' Union has submitted its response to the Department of Transport (DfT), in their consultation on an Integrated National Transport Strategy.
DfT have said that their strategy "will set out a single national vision which will put people who use transport and their needs at its heart and empower local leaders to deliver integrated transport solutions that meet the needs of their local communities". They're asking for opinions from people across England about using transport and what could make it better, to form the final version of the strategy. It'll be implemented for the next 10 years in England.
Using your responses from our research into UAL students' experiences of transport and commuting to University, we've made a series of recommendations to the Government.
You can read our response to the consultation here.
Response to Consultation on Future Approaches to Quality Regulation (2025)
Arts SU has responded to a consultation by the Office for Students (OfS) on the future approach to quality regulation in higher education. The OfS recently consulted students' unions on proposed changes to how it measures and regulates the quality of education you receive as a student. It also asked about proposed changes to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), a national assessment of higher education providers like universities and the overall quality of the education they offer students. This consultation, the proposed changes, and our response to it are all vital steps to ensure that the workshops, lectures, and seminars you attend at UAL meet the excellent quality that you deserve.
You can read our response to the consultation here.
Response to Making Work Pay Consultation on Unpaid Internships (2025)
Arts Students' Union has submitted a response to the Government's consultation on Making Work Pay on Unpaid Internships.
Using your testimonials and responses from our research into UAL students' experiences of careers, money, and the creative industries, we've made a series of recommendations to the Government.
You can read our response to the consultation here.
Response to Renters Rights' Bill Consultation (2024)
Arts Students' Union has responded to the Parliamentary call for Evidence for the Renters' Rights Public Bill Committee. We've built a full response outlining Arts SU's stance on the provision of the proposed Renters' Rights Bill, including recommendations for more protections to avoid discrimination against students.
You can read our response to the consultation here.
Office For Students' Free Speech Regulations Response (2024)
Arts Students' Union has submitted a response to the proposed free speech legislation, which is currently being consulted on by Office for Students (OfS).
The consultation asks for students' unions' (SUs) views on potential new legislation, which would regulate SUs around free speech. Our response outlines a series of concerns, including the OfS's approach to issuing guidance to SU and the impartiality and transparency of the OfS's monitoring, amongst other concerns. We will continue to update our members about how this potential new legislation progresses.
View the report here.
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Response (2023)
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national exercise incentivising improvement and excellence in teaching, learning and student outcomes at universities and colleges. The TEF rates universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards, which they must satisfy if they are regulated by the Office for Students (OfS).
The TEF student submission is an opportunity to provide insights about students’ views to help inform the TEF panel’s assessment of the institution.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, Arts SU submitted the student submission report for UAL's Teaching Excellent Framework (TEF) award submission. This report was created by Calum Sherwood (Policy & Research Officer) and Sof Nasif (LCC Officer 2022/23)
View the report here.