HL Deb 27 March 1984 vol 450 c223WA
Baroness David

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether a student who is regarded as independent of his parents and their income still has to support himself for three years before he can be given a grant for a higher education course.

The Earl of Swinton

In order to be regarded as independent of his parents for mandatory awards purposes a student must either be aged 25 years or more at the start of the academic year or have supported himself for three years before the start of his course. The Government are considering whether to relax from 1984–85 the present limitation of 12 months on periods of registered unemployment which can count towards the three-year period of self-support.