(2) how many people are receiving education maintenance allowance, broken down by age; and what level of grant they will be eligible for under his new student support proposals.
I have been asked to reply.
In the 2006-07 academic year 521,650 students were in receipt of EMA. This includes:
257,680 aged 16.
197,230 aged 17.
64,860 aged 18.
1,880 aged 19.
The threshold for EMA support is lower than the threshold for HE student support. Therefore under current arrangements all students in receipt of EMA would be eligible for some level of HE student support if their household incomes did not increase. We do not currently have information on how many more students would qualify for HE maintenance support under the new proposals.
Under the new proposals all 16-year-olds who receive EMA will be guaranteed a minimum level of support if they undertake a higher education course even if their household incomes increase. All 16-year-olds who receive the maximum level of EMA will be guaranteed the maximum level of maintenance grant (currently 2,700). This financial security will allow young people to look ahead to progressing to HE with confidence and no doubts about the finance support they will receive.