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Students: Fees and Charges

Volume 491: debated on Monday 20 April 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students have had their university tuition fees met from public funds in each of the last five years. (268433)

All students who are eligible to pay the home rate of fee have their tuition fee subsidised by public funds in the form of HEFCE funding payable directly to the Higher Education Institution.

UK domiciled undergraduate students1enrolled in English higher education institutions2

Academic year

Students

2003-04

1,306,500

2004-05

1,319,700

2005-06

1,348,300

2006-07

1,354,900

2007-08

1,360,000

1 Covers students on both full-time and part time courses.

2 Includes the Open university.

Notes:

Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population.

Source:

HESA.

Additionally eligible students may apply for student support:

Students eligible for tuition fee grants

Students who entered higher education before 2006-07 may apply for a means tested tuition fee grant towards the cost of their tuition fees (up to £1,255 in 2008-09). The grant, paid from public funds, is paid direct to HE institutions, with students paying the balance of the tuition fee.

England1

Academic year

Full fee support

Partial fee support

Total2

2005-06

314,900

92,100

407,100

2006-07

190,400

59,000

249,400

2007-08

102,400

30,900

133,300

2008-09 (provisional)3

30,300

8,600

38,800

1 English domiciled students studying in the UK. Data are not readily available for 2004-05.

2 Constituent parts may not add to totals due to rounding, figures are rounded to nearest 100.

3 2008-09 figures are provisional and may increase substantially due to late applications.

Source:

Student loans company.

Students with tuition fee loans

All students entering higher education since 2006-07 may apply for a non-means tested loan to cover the whole cost of their tuition fees. The loan is repaid after leaving university and when income is above £15,000. A loan is also available to pre-2006-07 entrants if they are required to contribute to their fees.

England1

Academic year

Pre-2006-07 entrants

Entered from 2006-07

Total2

2006-07

157,900

239,400

397,300

2007-08

99,100

454,500

553,500

2008-09 (provisional)3

31,200

682,500

713,700

1 English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU domiciled students studying in England.

2 Constituent parts may not add to totals due to rounding, figures are rounded to nearest 100.

3 2008-09 figures are provisional and may increase substantially due to late applications.

Source:

Student loans company.