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Sponsored Students

Volume 451: debated on Monday 30 October 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many students were subsidised to attend university with the aim of recruitment to the armed forces in each of the last five years, broken down by service; what the cost was; and how these data are recorded. (91298)

The number of university bursaries awarded, and their associated costs, in each of the last five years are as follows:

Financial year

Sponsorship

Number awarded

Total cost (£000)

Naval service

2002-03

Bursary

58

174

Cadetship

8

9

2003-04

Bursary

58

631

Cadetship

7

28

2004-05

Bursary

47

548

Cadetship

2

19

2005-06

Bursary

36

465

Cadetship

2

12

2006-07(i)

Bursary

48

424

Cadetship

2

1

Army

2002-03

Bursary

230

946

Cadetship

53

1,841

2003-04

Bursary

224

999

Cadetship

56

2,084

2004-05

Bursary

228

1,070

Cadetship

50

2,009

2005-06

Bursary

178

907

Cadetship

57

2,337

2006-07(i)

Bursary

124

560

Cadetship

29

1,352

RAF

2002-03

Bursary

289

604

Cadetship

51

71

2003-04

Bursary

286

653

Cadetship

55

51

2004-05

Bursary

218

566

Cadetship

71

50

2005-06

Bursary

210

556

Cadetship

59

52

2006-072

Bursary

113

331

Cadetship

36

8

1 Not yet known. 2 Figures for financial year 2006-07 show the position as at 30 September 2006.

The officer entry section of the Admiralty Interview Board maintains records of all recipients of RN Bursaries who are also supported while at university either by the university training officer or by the Defence technical undergraduate scheme.

The Army's direct entry bursary is worth £1,000 per year at university plus a £3,000 lump sum at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

All RAF data on bursaries is captured on a database at RAF Cranwell.