§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on levels of student debt in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available. [103630]
§ Jane KennedyThe current average annual amount of student loan borrowed by Northern Ireland students is £2,784. The introduction of non-repayable bursaries of up to £1,500 a year for students from low-income families from September 2002, with a commensurate reduction in the student loan is aimed at reducing the amount of debt which students would accumulate. The maximum bursary is to be increased to £2,000 from September 2003.