Navigating higher education (HE) can be challenging for Black women due to systemic racism and misogyny, alongside managing financial pressures, health and wellbeing. In response to these challenges, Black women are creating safe spaces and supportive communities.
Rutendo Amanda Hoto and Claudia Efemini founded Black Women at Edinburgh (BWE), Scotland’s first organisation for Black women in HE. Together with BWE Podcast co-host and Edinburgh University BME Liberation Officer Maryam Yusuf, they promote sisterhood and community, empowering Black women on campus.
In 2025, tuition fees are set to rise again from £9,250 to £9,535 alongside increasing accommodation costs across the UK, leading to concerns that student loans won’t cover living costs. Research indicates that Black students are among those most adversely affected by the rising cost of living, and universities provide limited financial assistance in this climate of growing economic pressures.