Student Finance UK
 
 

Many students failed to secure student finance grants

Tue, 12 Jun 2007

Around two thirds of university student applicants from England &Wales who have applied for maintenance grants for last year (2006) were unsuccessful.

The Student Loans Company has said 27% of 273,000 applicants had received full grants of £1,000 and 7% a smaller amount. The total cost was £83m to the SLC.

English education ministers forecast about 30% would get the full amount.

Grants are available on a sliding scale for students - whose household incomes are lower than £21,185 a year.

The maximum is only available for families making £15,200 or less.

The Higher Education Grant was introduced in 2004 to help with living costs - much needed for the majority of students.

The Higher Education Grant rose to a maximum of £2,700 when tuition fees went up to £3,000 a year in the autumn of 2006.