§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the estimated cost of providing a full non-means-tested grant to all students in higher and further education.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe estimate the cost to be over £750 million. This is made up by £160 million to abolish the parental contribution for those students now in receipt of mandatory awards and around £600 million to extend maintenance awards on this basis to all full-time students — in advanced and non-advanced further education —who do not at present hold a mandatory or discretionary award. These figures exclude fees, the costs of which are currently paid by public authorities for all mandatory award holders and for most discretionary award holders.
§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the estimated cost of introducing a £25 a week grant for all students at further education colleges.
§ Mr. William SheltonIn 1982–83 in England and Wales, there were 575,000 full-time and sandwich home students in maintained, assisted and grant-aided institutions of further education. Of these, 215,000 already received either a mandatory or discretionary maintenance award. The cost of introducing a £25 a week grant—£1,300 a year—to the remaining 360,000 students and increasing the grant to current award holders whose means-tested award is below that level would be over £500 million per annum.