§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much funding is available to help full-time students who are in financial difficulties(a) this year and (b) in each of the last five years. [157823]
§ Mr. WicksThe total amount available through higher education Access and Hardship Funds to help students in financial difficulty in 2000–01 is £87 million, almost four times the amount available in 1997–98. Both full and part-time students are eligible to apply for help, and the total includes £13 million for the fee waiver scheme introduced in 1998 specifically for part-time students on benefit or low incomes. Additionally, since 1998 full-time students have been able to apply for a discretionary Hardship Loan of up to £500 each year.
The Government have made available a range of further education learner support funds for students facing 219W financial difficulties in further education. Discretionary funding has been massively increased to support the most disadvantaged students. In addition, we are piloting Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) in 56 local education authority areas to provide weekly support to further education students assessed on the basis of parental income.
Table 1 shows the amounts available through the higher education Access and Hardship Funds since the 1995–96 academic year. The Funds were doubled in 1998–99 when part-time students became eligible to apply for help. The funding provided to meet fee waivers for part-time students since 1998–99 is separately identified.
Table 2 shows the increase in discretionary funding available to disadvantaged students in further education over the same period.
Table 3 shows the levels of funding made available up to 31 March 2001 for Education Maintenance Allowances. These figures relate to financial years since September 1999, when the pilots began.
Table 1 £ million Academic year Access and Hardship Fund Fee waivers for part-time students 1995–96 22 — 1996–97 22 — 1997–98 22 — 1998–99 46 2 1999–2000 75 12 2000–01 87 13
Table 2 £ million Academic year Discretionary funding 1995–96 6 1996–97 6 1997–98 6 1998–99 13 1999–2000 53 2000–01 101
Table 3 £million Financial year Education maintenance allowances 1999–2000 11 2000–01 81