8 January 2004
The poorest 30 per cent of students will be guaranteedat least£3000 a year from 2006 under plans announced by the Education Secretary Charles Clarke today.
He told MPs that the package of benefits is not a pick and mix menu.
"This is a coherent package to be taken as a whole or not at all," he said. "If not supported by this House, none of these benefits will arise."
Poorer students will benefit from a maintenance grant of £1500 a year, increased from £1000 a year, and a fee grant of £1200 so the poorest students don’t pay the first £1200 of their fees. The Government is considering combining the two grants to a single grant of £2700 a year.
Students in receipt of all this support and their university decides to charge the maximum £3000 in course fees, the individual will not have to take out any additional loan to pay their tuition fees. The Office for Fair Access will expect the student to receive financial support of at least £300 from the university.
Additional measures to protect all students include:
- increasing the student loan so students have no need to take out expensive commercial loans;
- abolishing upfront tuition fees from 2006;
- increasing the threshold for repayment from £10,000 to £15,000; and
- capping the variable fees universities will be allowed to charge at £3000.
Graduates who choose to take lower paid jobs will have any amount outstanding after 25 years wiped out.
"The effect of this commitment is that no student from a poor background will be worse off as a result of our proposals, whichever university they attend and whatever the fee charged for the course," said Mr Clark.
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