Student Grants (Hansard, 23 January 1996)

§ Mrs. Liddell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many postgraduate social work students have received grants at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Scotland in each of the years 1990 to 1995. [10775]

§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
None. The responsibility for providing student support for Scottish domiciled students undertaking postgraduate studies in social work was transferred to the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work with effect from academic year 1990–91. This enabled the council to operate a uniform UK-wide policy in its area of responsibility.

§ Mrs. Liddell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the regulations on the award of student grants in Scotland. [10777]

§ Mr. Robertson
Grants to Scottish domiciled students undertaking full-time courses of higher education are offered under the Students' Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 1991 (SI 1991 No. 1522), as amended. The regulations are made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State under powers contained in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

§ Mrs. Liddell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans there are to bring the criteria for award of student grants for postgraduate students in Scotland in line with the provisions for England and Wales. [10778]

§ Mr. Robertson
For subjects where awards for postgraduate study in England and Wales are subject to national criteria, the arrangements in Scotland are already broadly in line, subject to minor variations to meet Scottish circumstances. Where the award in England and Wales is at the discretion of the local education authority, arrangements can vary and alignment is not possible.

§ Mrs. Liddell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance is available to postgraduate students in Scotland; and what plans there are to extend the availability of the student loans scheme to postgraduate students. [10776]

§ Mr. Robertson
The standard rates of means-tested maintenance allowance for non-loan-bearing postgraduate courses in the academic year 1995–96 are:

£2,690: for students living in a hall of residence or in lodgings and attending establishments outside the London area.

£3,295: as above, but attending an establishment in the London area

£1,965: for students living at their parents' home.

Additional weeks' allowances are payable for attendance exceeding 30 weeks and three days. Tuition fees are also payable without means testing.
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There are no plans to extend the availability of loans to postgraduate students other than those undertaking PGCE courses who already qualify, and receive the lower undergraduate maintenance rates. Unlike those at undergraduate level, postgraduate rates of maintenance grant have been uprated annually in line with inflation in recent years.

§ Mrs. Liddell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the criteria for the award of student grants in Scotland relating to postgraduate students. [10779]

§ Mr. Robertson
To be eligible for an award a student must generally have been ordinarily resident in the British islands for at least three years preceding 31 August of the year in which the course, or continuous series of courses, starts and also be ordinarily resident in Scotland on 30 June of that year.
Under the postgraduate students' allowances scheme, an award may be offered to an eligible student who has completed a first degree or comparable course and who then wishes to take a short, usually one-year, course of professional or vocational training. Not all postgraduate diploma courses are covered by the scheme and, outwith the fields of science and technology, engineering and teacher training, the numbers of awards available are limited by quota and eligible students compete for assistance. There are also restrictions related to previous study at postgraduate level.
Under the Scottish studentship scheme, support is offered to a limited number of eligible students who wish to undertake postgraduate higher degree study in the arts and humanities. Applicants must hold either a first class or a very good second class honours degree. The number of applications received significantly exceeds the studentship awards available each year and the successful candidates are selected on merit by a committee of academics appointed from Scottish universities.
These arrangements are set out more fully in the booklet "Student Grants in Scotland—A Guide to Postgraduate Allowances." I am sending a copy to the hon. Member and copies have been placed in the Library.