Top firms review financial support for students

updated on 08 April 2011

As universities plan to hike tuition fees, some firms are to review the financial assistance on offer to their future trainees. According to a report in Legal Week, Addleshaw Goddard, Bird & Bird, Clifford Chance, Eversheds, Herbert Smith, Hogan Lovells and Linklaters are planning to look at the financial support packages they offer to law students. The firms will consider various ways that they can ease the financial strain, including via bursaries, sponsorship, scholarships and donations to university law departments.

The collective effort comes in the wake of Lord Browne's review of higher education funding, which from October 2012 will enable universities to charge up to £9,000 per year.

Hogan Lovells legal resourcing associate director Clare Harris told Legal Week: "Our immediate priority will be to provide any additional support for our future trainees who may require it, both during their time at university and at law school, should funding prove to be a difficulty and where there are genuine cases of hardship. Our aim is to ensure that the careers of our future joiners are not hindered by financial issues."