UK universities warned that deteriorating funding could force reductions in hardship support for impoverished students and may also cut outreach activities aimed at disadvantaged groups. A Universities UK (UUK) poll of vice-chancellors found nearly a third said they would cut hardship support over the next three years if financial strain continues, alongside widespread expectations of staff redundancies or hiring freezes. The poll’s figures underscore how cost pressures are translating directly into student-support decisions, including the types of non-tuition assistance that often stabilize enrollment and retention for students facing financial shocks. For higher education leaders, the message is operational as well as political: universities may need to re-prioritize hardship funding models, strengthen alternative support partnerships, and prepare for intensified scrutiny of equity outcomes as budgets tighten.