Provisional Student Loans Company (SLC) figures released today (28 November) show that around half of new full time students in England are eligible for a full or partial non-repayable grant this year.
Commenting on the figures, Sir Martin Harris, Director of OFFA, said:
‘These interim figures for 2006/07 confirm that students from lower income families that have applied to higher education this year are benefiting from the non-repayable support available to them from the Government. Many of these students will also be eligible for additional support from their universities and colleges.
‘Universities and colleges estimate that they will distribute over £115 million of non- repayable support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships, in year 1 to low income or other under-represented groups (when all students are under the new system by 2010, institutions estimate this figure will be over £350 million per annum).’
Link to DfES press notice ‘Support available to new students is highest ever’.