§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance will be given to students beginning courses in 1998 lasting longer than four years towards their tuition fees for the additional years. [17846]
157W
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 27 November 1997]: Eligible Scottish domiciled students will not be required to pay the £1,000 tuition fee for the final year of any degree course where that course is one year longer than the comparable course offered at institutions in England and Wales.
In addition, eligible Scottish domiciled medical and dental students will be relieved of paying the £1,000 tuition fee for the fifth and subsequent years of their courses. They will thus be on equal footing with their counterparts domiciled elsewhere in the UK.
§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ensure that the means test level for the payment of full tuition fees is the same in Scotland as in England. [17851]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 27 November 1997]: Yes.
§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to offer loans to students to cover the cost of their tuition fees; and if he will make a statement. [17852]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 27 November 1997]: On 23 July, the Government announced that new students commencing higher education from 1998–99 onwards will be liable to contribute up to £1,000 towards their tuition, and that maintenance grants and the current loan arrangements will be replaced by loans on income contingent repayment terms. Loans will not be available specifically to cover tuition fees. However, for those students who are liable to contribute toward the costs of tuition, their entitlement to loans will be increased to ensure that no student has access to less funds for maintenance under the new system than they would have had under the existing system. This arrangement is the same in Scotland, as elsewhere in the UK.