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Written question asked by Chi Onwurah (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 February 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 February 2023. It was answered by Robert Halfon (Conservative) on Monday, 20 February 2023 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Students: Cost of Living

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Statement made on 11 January 2023 by the Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, whether her Department held consultations with the Office for Students regarding the demands on university hardship funds before the reallocation of £15 million to premium funding; and what recent steps she has taken to support students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Answer

The department discusses the additional cost of living pressures that are impacting students this year in our regular meetings with stakeholders, including the Office for Students (OfS), Universities UK and the higher education Mission Groups. The department has also consulted with the National Association of Student Money Advisers to understand the ongoing situation in relation to increased requests from students for hardship awards from their universities.

On 11 January 2023, the department announced a one-off reallocation of funding to add £15 million to this year's student premium funding, enabling extra hardship awards to be made to tens of thousands of disadvantaged students. There is now £276 million of student premium funding available this academic year to support disadvantaged students. This extra funding will complement the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. The department works with the OfS to ensure universities support students using both hardship funds and drawing on the student premium.

All households will save on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount. The Energy Prices Act, passed on 25 October 2022, includes the provision which requires landlords to pass any benefits they receive from energy price support onto end users, as appropriate. Further details of the requirements under this Act are set out in the legislation.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
142691
Session
2022-23
Related items
Higher Education Student Support
Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Written statements
House of Commons
Subjects
Students Cost of living
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk