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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average net expenditure on (a) support and (b) tuition of a higher education student was in each year since 1997. [105942] Margaret Hodge: Students entering higher education under the student support scheme since 1998 have been required to make a contribution to their tuition and support, depending on their family income. The average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees is presented in the following table. As we do not have up to date and reliable data on the amount students actually spent supporting themselves, we have presented the average loan taken out by students in the table. Available data on average assessed student contributions toward fees, and the average loan taken out by higher education students are given in the table. Average loan and average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees1,2,3 £ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Academic year 1998/991 1999/2000 2000/014 2001/02 (Provisional) Average maintenance loans5 2,580 3,150 3,100 3,120 Average assessed student n/a 470 510 n/a contribution towards tuition fees: all students on courses subject to income assessment 6, 7, 8 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. n/a = not available 1 New student support arrangements in higher education came into effect in September 1998. For the first year of the new scheme, eligible new entrants received support for living costs through both grants and loans. Grants, which were assessed against family income, on average formed about a quarter of the support available. All students were entitled to a non income-assessed loan, which comprised the remaining three quarters of support available. 2 New entrants to higher education in 1999/2000, together with those who started in 1998/99, received support for living costs mainly through loans which are partly income-assessed. Grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, e.g. for students with dependants; single parent students; and disabled students. Grants for students with dependants and single parent students are income-assessed but the Disabled Students' Allowance is not. Any student contributions towards income-assessed maintenance grants for students in these circumstances are not included. 3 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 4 Latest year for which tuition fee data are available. 5 Student loans are available to most 'home' students on full-time undergraduate HE courses (and students on full-time and part-time postgraduate courses of initial teacher training) normally domiciled in the United Kingdom 6 Data relate to students domiciled in England and Wales and studying in the United Kingdom. Data are not available for 1998/99. 7 From 1998/99 most new students were expected to contribute towards the cost of their tuition depending on family income. The maximum contribution (£1,075 in 2001/02, £1,050 in 2000/01, £1,025 in 1999/2000 and £1,000 in 1998/99) represents only about 20 per cent. to 25 per cent. of the average cost of the course. The balance is met from public funds. 8 Includes students on their placement year in sandwich courses and part-time courses of ITT. Source: Student Loans Company; F503G survey of local education authorities.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

105942; 404 c225-8W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Finance Fees and charges Expenditure Higher education Students Per capita costs

Link

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