HC Deb 31 March 2003 vol 402 cc546-9W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley), on 24 February,Official Report, column 346W, what percentage of students were eligible for student support in the years listed; and how many and what percentage of students were eligible for student support in each region of England. [103472]

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 18 March 2003]: The percentage of students domiciled in England and Wales who were assessed as eligible for full support in academic years 1996/97 to 2000/01 is shown in the table. Data do not include students who received partial support.

Percentage of all eligible students assessed to receive full student support in England and Wales1 Academic years 1996–97 to 2000–012
Academic year
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–012
Student Support Scheme Students3,4
Dependent students5 35.1 36.9 33.6
Independent students6 87.7 88.3 88.6
Total all students 44.8 45.1 42.2
Mandatory Scheme Students7
Dependent students5 33.4 33.0 31.7 31.8 29.6
Independent students6 84.8 84.8 82.3 83.6 83.7
Total all students 44.8 43.8 40.9 40.1 37.1
All Students
Dependent students5 33.4 33.0 32.7 34.9 33.0
Independent students6 84.8 84.8 84.0 86.5 88.1
Total all students 44.8 43.8 42.1 43.2 41.5
1 Support assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales to students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
2 Provisional
3 Includes some students (eg PGCEs) who were assessed to make no contribution to the cost of their tuition but who may have been assessed to make a contribution to other forms of support.
4 New students in 1998–99 received support for maintenance through income-assessed grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three quarters of the support available). (The ratio for existing students is roughly 50 per cent. means-tested grant and 50 per cent. non means-tested student loan). In 1999–2000, students who entered higher education from 1998–99 onwards received support for maintenance entirely though loans, of which three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis.
5 Dependent students are assessed for support based on the income of their parents and of the students themselves.
6 Independent students are assessed for support based on their own income and that of their spouse/partner. A student is regarded as independent if he/she is aged 25 or over before the start of the academic year for which they are applying; have been married for at least two years before the start of the academic year for which they are applying or have support themselves for at least three years before the start of their course.
7 Students who entered higher education up to 1997–98, and those who entered in 1998–99 to whom the mandatory scheme funding arrangements applied, received support for maintenance through income-assessed grants.

Source:

F503G Student Support Survey

The number and percentage of mandatory scheme students in England, shown by Government Office Region, who were eligible for full support in academic years 1996–97 and 1997–98, are shown in the tables. Data on student support are collected for publication at

Number of all eligible students1 assessed to receive full student support in academic years 1996–97 and 1997–98 England: Government Office Region2
Thousands
Dependent students3 Independent students4 All students
1996–97 1997–98 1996–97 1997–98 1996–97 1997–98
England 186.3 188.2 135.7 129.1 321.9 317.3
North East 8.9 9.0 6.6 6.5 15.5 15.4
North West 27.6 28.6 20.5 19.4 48.1 48.0
Yorkshire and the Humber 17.9 17.7 12.1 12.4 30.1 30.1
East Midlands 14.2 14.4 9.2 9.1 23.4 23.5
West Midlands 22.3 22.2 12.1 11.3 34.5 33.5
East of England 16.8 17.2 11.6 10.9 28.3 28.1
Inner London 12.8 13.2 17.4 16.0 30.2 29.2
Outer London 19.7 20.3 14.5 13.5 34.2 33.8
South East 26.7 26.2 18.7 17.3 45.4 43.5
South West 19.3 19.5 14.0 12.8 33.3 32.4
1 Student numbers rounded to the nearest thousand.
2 Support assessed by local education authorities in England to students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
3 Dependent students are assessed for support based on the income of their parents and of the students themselves.
4 Independent students are assessed for support based on their own income and that of their spouse/partner. A student is regarded as independent if he/she is aged 25 or over before the start of the academic year for which they are applying; have been married for at least two years before the start of the academic year for which they are applying or have supported themselves for at least three years before the start of the academic year of their course.

Source:

F503G Student Support Survey

national level; the data collection exercise from 1998/99 does not allow the production of firm figures below this level, and therefore data by Government Office Region are not available from academic years 1998–99.

Percentage of all eligible students assessed to receive full student support in academic years 1996–97 and 1997–98 England: Government Office Region1
Percentage
Dependent students2 Independent students3 All students
1996–97 1997–98 1996–97 1997–98 1996–97 1997–98
England 33 33 85 85 45 44
North East 33 34 84 86 45 46
North West 36 36 87 86 48 47
Yorkshire and the Humber 35 34 82 85 46 45
East Midlands 31 31 85 84 42 41
West Midlands 37 35 87 85 46 44
East of England 28 28 82 80 38 37
Inner London 52 52 90 90 69 68
Outer London 34 34 86 85 46 45
South East 26 25 81 79 36 35
South West 35 35 87 87 47 46
1 Support assessed by local education authorities in England to students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
2 Dependent students are assessed for support based on the income of their parents and of the students themselves.
3 Independent students are assessed for support based on their own income and that of their spouse/partner. A student is regarded as independent if he/she is aged 25 or over before the start of the academic year for which they are applying; have been married for at least two years before the start of the academic year for which they are applying or have supported themselves for at least three years before the start of the academic year of their course.

Source:

F503G student support survey of local education authorities