There will be more opportunities for qualified secondary school teachers in higher education as a result of the 2 per cent. a year real terms increase in funding for HE over the next three years. While we will be progressively redistributing about £100 million of institutional funding away from those studying second degrees and other HE qualifications at an equivalent or lower level in order to support more first time entrants to HE, subjects like chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics will continue to attract institutional funding when taken as a second undergraduate degree. This will allow Universities and Colleges to continue charging home fee rates for these subjects.
Qualified secondary school teachers who hold an honours degree are not eligible for fee and living costs support under the Student Support Regulations for a second undergraduate degree in chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. However, qualified secondary school teachers who do not hold an honours degree may be eligible for fee and living costs support for an undergraduate degree in these subjects. Information is not available on the numbers of qualified secondary school teachers applying for and receiving student support specifically for chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics undergraduate courses in each of the last five years.