To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of making the support available to part-time 19 to 25-year-olds enrolled on their first full level 3 course equivalent to that of full-time, home-based, first degree undergraduates in respect of (a) grants, (b) maintenance loans and (c) fee loans; and if he will make a statement. (196896)

Our internal modelling estimates for extending the Level 3 entitlement to adults aged 25-29 is around £20 million over the CSR period (i.e. from 2008/09 to 2010/11) in respect of tuition fees. Our estimate of extending it to adults aged 25-34 is around £40 million over the same period. This is probably near the bottom end of likely costs: were participation to increase as a result of the entitlement, costs could be much greater.

We currently have no plans to extend the Level 3 entitlement beyond its current age-range of 19-24.