HC Deb 26 January 2004 vol 417 cc148-50W
Mr. Djanogly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average student loan taken out by students from(a) Huntingdon, (b) Cambridgeshire and (c) England was in each year since 2000 –01. [149685]

Alan Johnson

The tables show the average full-time income-contingent loan taken out by students in Cambridgeshire and in England and the average mortgage style loan taken out by students in England.

Data on the average student loan taken out by students from Huntingdon are not available.

Average income-contingent loan1,2 taken out by domicile of students in academic years 2000/01 to 2002/033(£)
Academic year
2000/01 2001/024 2002/03 (provisional)
Cambridgeshire5,6 3,170 3,210 7
England 3,160 3,190 3,240
1 New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 1998/99. New students in 1998/99 (apart from certain specified exceptions) received support for maintenance expenditure through means-tested grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three quarters of the support available). From 1999/2000 students who entered higher education after 1998/99 received support for maintenance expenditure through loans, of which approximately three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis.
2 Excludes the fixed rate loans (£500) for eligible part-time students, introduced in September 2000 3 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10
4 Latest year for which data by local education authority (LEA) are available
5 LEA of domicile of student
6 LEA level data have been taken from available information and may include a small number of loans which have been authorised for payment but not paid.
7 Regional breakdown not yet available

Source:

Student Loans Company

Average mortgage style1 loan taken out by domicile of student—academic years 2000/01 to 2002/032
£
Academic year
2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 (provisional)
England 1,460 1,520 1,580
1 Loans available to students who entered higher education up to academic year 1997/98 and those who entered in 1998/99 under existing arrangements. These loans are non income assessed and are repayable on a fixed term, mortgage style, basis.
2 Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10.

Source:

Student Loans Company

Data on the local education authority of domicile of students taking out fixed rate mortgage style loans (normally those who entered higher education before 1998/99) are not available because applications are made through the students' education institution. The data provided in the answer relate to student loans

available from the Student Loans Company and do not include bank loans, overdrafts, and informal loans from family and friends.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many students he expects to receive the full £1,500 maintenance grant, assuming current student numbers; and how many will receive an amount of grant; [148563]

(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of the introduction of higher education maintenance grants of £1,500 in 2006. [148575]

Alan Johnson

Based on the current student cohort we estimate about 30 per cent. of English and Welsh students will benefit from the full grant when it is introduced in the 2004/05 academic year. Approximately a further 10 per cent. of students should benefit from a partial grant. I refer my hon. Friend to the Regulatory Impact Assessment, published on 8 January, which sets out the costs of increasing the grant to £1,500 a year from 2006/07. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment were placed in the Library of the House it is also available on the Department for Education and Skills website.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what fees will be chargeable to students for part-time degrees at(a) universities and (b) further education colleges under the provisions of the Higher Education Bill. [150537]

Alan Johnson

Universities and further education colleges are currently free to determine the level of fees which are chargeable to part-time students in higher education. The Higher Education Bill will not change this.

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