[holding answer 16 April 2007]: All learners eligible for support from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and enrolling on Skills for Life ESOL courses are currently entitled to automatic fee remission. Because entitlement is automatic, the LSC does not require evidence related to concessionary fees to be collected on its Individualised Learner Records. Consequently, it is not possible to use this information either to calculate those who would be entitled to full fee remission under current arrangements or to predict accurately for the future.
However, some evidence has been gathered to help clarify the number of people who will continue to be entitled to full fee remission from August 2007 when ESOL courses will no longer attract automatic fee remission and free tuition will only be available to priority groups, such as people who are unemployed or receiving income-based benefits.
For example, the South London Learning Partnership carried out a questionnaire with 12 providers covering 2,615 learners. Of these 35 per cent. are employed, of whom 89 per cent. have an income of 15,000 or below, and 51 per cent. are in receipt of benefits. Of the remainder, 19 per cent. thought they would be able to pay. On this evidence, the majority of learners seeking ESOL courses would be entitled to full fee remission.