Financial help for city students

Students from low-income families are being offered cash incentives to study at the University of Nottingham.

It wants to give bursaries to more students from comprehensive schools. That could lead to financial help for half of the next intake of students.

The grants would be financed by income from those who pay university fees.

Nearly three quarters of under-graduates at the university are from state schools. The aim is to take that to 80%.

Philip Dalling, for the university, said: "The government has set a benchmark that universities like Nottingham need to achieve.

"We are just a little below that at the moment, so we are trying to work up.

"We reckon there will be 2,200 of our intake - of 4,500 students - who will probably be getting some additional assistance from us."