§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what recent provisions her Department has made to alleviate student hardship;
(2) if she will make a statement on the cut in student maintenance in the November budget; and what assessment she has made of possible adverse effects on the student population.
§ Mr. BoswellThe statement made by my right hon. Friend on 29 November last year said that, for those eligible for mandatory awards and student loans, the total support available through the main rates of grant and loan would increase by 2.5 per cent. for the 1995–96 academic year. The total support available through grant and loan has risen slightly in real terms since 1990 when loans were first introduced. The access funds can provide additional assistance to full-time students in particular need. The increase in student numbers over recent years does not suggest that students are being deterred from entering higher education on financial grounds.