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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the income of (a) cohabiting partners and (b) new partners as a result of remarriage is taken into account in the assessment of residual household income for the exemption or remission of tuition fees; what changes he proposes; and what assessment he has made of the number of students likely to lose the entitlement to full or partial remission of tuition fees as a result. [139023] Alan Johnson: The income of cohabiting partners and new partners is not currently taken into account in the assessment of residual income for the exemption or remission of tuition fees unless the student has been formally adopted. We are proposing that the income of spouses and cohabiting partners of the student's natural parents is taken into account for new students whose courses start from September 2004. Where the household income is £20,970, a minimum contribution of £45 will be assessed. This will rise by £1 for every £9.50 of income above that threshold. Since the change is to be implemented only for new students entering higher education in 2004/05, no student will lose their current entitlement to fee remission because of this change to the means test. Estimates of the effects of the inclusion of cohabiting partners' income have been derived using income data from a number of sources and are indicative. Our best indication is that, once it reaches steady state, this change could account for a fall of approximately three points in the percentage of dependent students receiving full fee remission. The percentage of dependent students entitled to partial fee remission is expected to remain more or less unchanged.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

139023; 413 c1497W;413 c1493W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Cohabitation Finance Fees and charges Higher education Parents Students

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk