Student support has increased by just 2 per cent in real terms over the past ten years. The figures from the Department for Education and Skills led student unions to claim that the government had reneged on its promises to alleviate hardship. The maximum amount available through student loans and grants (for those starting in 1998 or earlier) rose by 2 per cent between 1991-92 and 2001-02.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics