HC Deb 11 March 2002 vol 381 cc762-3W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduate engineering students received sponsorship(a) in total, (b) per subject and (c) in relation to other disciplines, during the last academic year. [39708]

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The available information, showing the number of full-time undergraduates whose tuition fees are paid by sponsors, is shown in the table. Contributions to tuition fees are income assessed. How much, if anything, a student pays depends on their income and that of their family.

Full-time undergraduates in the UK whose tuition fees are paid by sponsors' 2000–01
Subject Number As percentage of all students in the subject2
Engineering and technology 490 0.8
Medicine and dentistry 102 0.1
Subjects allied to medicine 2,930 3.1
Biological sciences 96 0.2
Veterinary science 2 0.0
Agriculture and related subjects 21 0.2
Physical sciences 96 0.2
Mathematical sciences 17 0.1
Information technology 163 0.3
Architecture 92 0.5
Social studies 537 0.8
Law 530 1.8
Business/administration studies 452 0.5
Mass communication/documentation 20 0.1
Languages 42 0.1
Humanities 93 0.3
Full-tune undergraduates in the UK whose tuition fees are paid by sponsors12000–01
Subject Number As percentage of all students Subject2
Creative arts 98 0.1
Education 244 0.6
Combined subjects 350 0.4
Total all subjects 6,381 0.7
1 Covers fees paid by the student's employer, UK industry/commerce, and sponsorship by HM forces.
2Excluding students who did not provide details of the source of their tuition fees.

The 1998–99 Student Income and Expenditure survey reported that an important source of income for part-time students was their employers. One in five gained help towards their study costs, which was worth £452 over the academic year for those who received such help.