§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of bursaries in management studies awarded by the Department of Education to both male and female students in the past four 162W years; and if he will give details of the criteria under which the awards are made and the value of such awards.
§ Mr. GoodhartFifteen bursaries were awarded under the Department's management bursaries scheme for the years 1976 to 1979 of which three were awarded to women.
Applicants for bursaries must be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland, have been engaged in trade or industry for at least one year before the beginning of the full-time diploma in management studies course at the Ulster polytechnic and must hold either a university degree or an equivalent qualification. Applicants must be at least 23 years of age by the date of commencement of the course. Exceptionally, applicants of 27 years of age or over who do not possess the academic entry qualifications but who have at least four years' experience in a post of professional or administrative responsibility endorsed by their employer may be considered for an award.
Awards which are normally tenable for a period of 10 months, are made at the same value as postgraduate bursaries and consist of:
- (a) approved tuition and examination fees;
- (b) a standard grant towards ordinary maintenance depending on the students personal circumstances and dependants grant if appropriate (these are maintained at the levels applicable to other students awards and may be subject to a parental or spouse's contribution);
- (c) a grant towards the cost of residential periods of study undertaken as part of the course.
Sixteen bursaries in management studies were awarded for other courses under the Department's postgraduate bursary scheme during the last four years, of which five were awarded to women.