HC Deb 09 May 1983 vol 42 c185W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to amend regulations relating to grants for mature students to attend university or further education colleges in order to ensure that when these students are originally from overseas but now permanently resident with their families in the United Kingdom the family do not lose their subsistence because of the breadwinner's attendance at such a college.

Mr. Waldegrave

A mature student who is eligible for a mandatory award will, if he satisfies the relevant conditions, receive an enhanced rate of grant and the appropriate allowances for any dependants he may have. A student who is not eligible for a mandatory award may attract a discretionary award from his local education authority. The level at which their discretionary awards are paid is a matter for individual LEAs to decide.