§ 14. Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment her Department has made of recent trends in higher education take-up, particularly in areas of low take-up. [50359]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Higher Education Funding Council for England has consulted on its plans to ensure sufficient supply and demand for higher education over the rest of the decade, based on a through analysis of trends over the past 20 years. The latest data from the University and Colleges Admissions Service indicate an increase in applications in 2002 compared with last year, a welcome step towards our 50 per cent. target by 2010.
§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she will take to improve full time applications for higher education from mature students since 1996. [49807]
§ Margaret Hodge[holding answer 17 April 2002]: We are determined to widen access as we expand numbers. The latest UCAS figures show a 9.5 per cent. increase in the number of mature students from the UK who entered higher education in September 2001 and UCAS has reported a 4.6 per cent. increase in the number of mature applicants from the UK for September 2002.
We have put a number of initiatives in place, including foundation degrees which are new vocational qualifications to address the skills gap, as well as New Technology Institutes which are being set up in each English region. They are partnerships between higher education (HE), further education (FE) and business to provide specialist information and communication technology (ICT) and other high technology learning programmes. We are also developing new ways to access higher education through the "e-Universities" project, which will provide the flexibility many mature students need.
In addition we have provided substantial extra resources for mature students including a child care grant, travel, books and equipment grant and access bursaries for student parents. A single parent with two young children can now get over £16,000 with full student loan and other grants. Our measures have contributed towards the welcome increase in mature student numbers.
Institutions receive a funding premium for all students aged 25 and over in recognition of the additional cost of supporting such students. We are also encouraging the important role that FE has to play in delivering HE, where FE colleges are already significant providers. They offer degree and other provision to wider groups, many of whom are mature students who may not be able to attend a university but can attend the local college.