In an attempt to counter a growing barrier to studying physics, the UK’s Institute of Physics (IOP) plans to give £1000 (roughly $1800) a year to needy undergrads.
The grants would partially defray across-the-board tuition hikes that were narrowly voted in by the British government on 27 January. UK universities began charging tuition just a few years ago. The new hikes, of up to £3000 a year, will vary by campus and department.
“Physics is not the most popular subject,” says Philip Diamond, IOP’s assistant director for higher education and science. “We have a rather fragile undergraduate population. You need 40 to 50 undergraduates per year to be viable. A number of departments have been forced to close. The fee element is an enormous worry for our subject.”
Over the past 20 years, the number of physics students in the UK has remained steady—and become a shrinking portion of the...
