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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he will take to alleviate hardship arising from top-up fees for students whose family relationship has been broken. [134496] Alan Johnson: We expect the student support arrangements for students that are either irreconcilably estranged from their parents or whose parents are no longer living together to continue as they are now, when variable fees are introduced from 2006. The current arrangements are set out as follows: If a student is irreconcilably estranged from his or her parents, they are treated as independent for the purposes of assessing student support. Where such a student's personal income while on the course is below £10,000, they are entitled to the full fee remission grant to cover the standard fee and to a full maintenance loan. If their income is £15,200 or below, they will be entitled to the full higher education grant when this is introduced from 2004. If a student's parents are no longer living together, the income to be used for the purposes of assessing student support will continue to be that of the parent considered to be most appropriate. If that parental income is £15,200 or below, the student will be eligible for a full higher education grant; if below £20,970, they will be eligible for the full fee remission grant to cover the standard fee; and if below £31,230, a full maintenance loan. Both types of students will be able to take out a loan for fees to cover the balance of the fee above the standard fee once variable fees are introduced.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

134496; 412 c453-4W;412 c462W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Fees and charges Higher education Parents Separation Students

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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