§ 28. Mr. ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to raise standards in schools in disadvantaged areas. [18778]
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§ Mr. BlunkettI refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave ealrier to my hon. Friends, the Members for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) and for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor).
§ Mrs. BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how he intends to means test parents and spouses of(a) United Kingdom students and (b) EU students for this payment of tuition fees. [18781]
§ Dr. HowellsI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) on 10 December 1997Official Report, column 550.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans he has to compensate universities for the revenue consequences of a reduction in student numbers caused by the imposition of tuition fees; and if he will make a statement; [19193]
(2) what action he proposes to take in respect of the increased funding deficit for universities if his Department's advertising campaign fails to attract sufficient higher education students to meet the present targets. [19222]
§ Dr. HowellsWe do not expect institutions generally to have difficulty filling their places.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate he has made of the additional money which will be available to higher education directly from the imposition of tuition fees in each year from 1998–99 to 2002–03; [19138]
(2) if money raised from the imposition of tuition fees will be additional to projected university budgets. [19194]
§ Dr. HowellsThe higher education funding plans for 1998–99 assumed that institutions in England would collect £130 million from private contributions to fees, and allowed for an additional £165 million for the sector, including a £36 million package for access.
Decisions about funding for 1999–2000 and beyond will have to await the outcome of the Government's Expenditure Review. The Government will take account of the income that universities and colleges collect from the student contribution to tuition fees, the needs of the higher education sector and wider public expenditure considerations.
We have made clear that the savings from the introduction of tuition fees will be used to improve quality, standards and opportunity for all in further and higher education.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the level at which students will be exempt from paying tuition fees will be based on(a) gross, (b) disposable or (c) residual income level. [19156]
§ Dr. HowellsContributions to tuition fees in 1998–99 will be calculated in the same way as in previous years, that is on the basis of residual income (gross income after certain allowable deductions). These arrangements will be reviewed for the academic year 1999–2000.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if the level of tuition fees charged to 657W students entering university in 1998 will remain constant for the remainder of their degree course; [19136]
(2) on what percentage of average course costs future charges to full-time undergraduates will be based; and what steps he will take to restrict universities in the increases they make to the charges upon which that percentage is based. [19137]
§ Dr. HowellsIt is for universities themselves to determine the level of fees that they charge students. Our proposals assume that full-time undergraduates will contribute up to £1,000 towards tuition fees in 1998–99: this represents around 25 per cent. of the average course cost, which was the percentage the Dearing Inquiry recommended for private individual contributions. The Teaching and Higher Education Bill, currently before the other House, contains provisions requiring that the maximum financial support from Government for tuition fees, and hence by implication the maximum contribution from students, parents or spouses towards tuition fees, cannot increase by more than inflation without Parliamentary approval. Further provisions in the Bill gives the Secretary of State a reserve power to control top-up fees, if necessary.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effect of the announcement of the introduction of tuition fees on applications for university places in 1998. [19191]
§ Dr. HowellsNone. It is too early to estimate the number of education applicants for 1998–99. Applicant numbers are at present slightly down compared with last year; but, by this stage last year, fewer than half of the final number of applications had been submitted.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if students studying sandwich courses will be expected to pay tuition fees in their year out in industry. [19186]
§ Dr. HowellsThe maximum tuition fees contribution, subject to assessment against family income, will be £500 in a year when a student spends the entire year of a course on a sandwich placement. This contribution is towards the cost incurred by the institution of administrative and pastoral arrangements relating to the placement.
Where sandwich or other elements form less than a full year away, the £1,000 fee will be payable, subject to the family income assessment.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if students presently studying HNDs and due to finish in summer 1998 who go on to a one year top up degree as part of a profession pathway to degree status, will be expected to pay tuition fees on that year. [19188]
§ Dr. HowellsA student who is already on or begins an HND course in academic year 1997–98, and who goes on to a degree course immediately after completing the HND course, will be treated as an existing student and be eligible for support throughout the degree course under658W the 1997–98 arrangements. That means they will pay no tuition fees for the duration of the course.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what action he plans to take in respect of those students who fail to meet their payments on tuition fees and what provision he has made for this; [19183]
(2) if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the collection of tuition fees; by whom they will be collected; and how much he estimates this will cost; [19184]
(3) what funds he will make available to assist universities in collecting tuition fees. [19190]
§ Dr. HowellsUniversities and colleges already have administrative arrangements in place to collect tuition fees from part-time students, overseas students, self-funding students, and many postgraduates. They will be able to build on these arrangements in collecting private contributions to tuition fees from full-time undergraduate students under the new funding arrangements for higher education and in deciding what action to take if students fail to make the private contributions.
The higher education funding plans for 1998–99 assumed that institutions in England will collect £130 million from private contributions to fees. This figure allowed for some 5 per cent. for collection and any default.