The Humble Petition of Sarah Smith and students from schools across Wirral,
Sheweth,
that the Petitioners believe that the Government’s abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance and the proposals to lift the cap on University fees will prevent students from poorer backgrounds having full and fair access to education.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House rejects any proposals to remove the cap on university tuition fees and urges the Government to enhance equality of opportunity and equal access to education instead of cutting off support for students and creating some of the most expensive tuition fees in the World.
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.—[Presented by Ms Angela Eagle, Official Report, 8 December 2010; Vol. 520, c. 490.]
[P000869]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, received 14 January 2011:
The Chancellor announced on 20 October that we would be ending the EMA scheme. The scheme will close to new applicants from 1 January 2011, and will close entirely at the end of the 2010-11 academic year. It is being replaced, from September 2011, with an enhanced discretionary learner support fund, enabling closer targeting of resource to individual young people who face a real financial barrier to participation.
Young people who are currently receiving the EMA will continue to receive it to the end of the academic year. Those students who need financial help with learning costs from September 2011, including those previously in receipt of the EMA, may be eligible for support from the enhanced discretionary learner support fund.
In coming to this decision the Government have looked closely at evaluation evidence and other research carried out by the previous Labour Government, which shows that around 90% of recipients would have stayed on after 16 even if they had not received EMA.
We are maintaining the commitment to full participation and to raising the participation age. In replacing the EMA, we want colleges, schools and training organisations to be able to make sure that those students who need support the most will receive it.
Our proposals to reform higher education funding and student finance incorporate a range of measures to ensure that students from poorer backgrounds can have full and fair access to a higher education. This includes the fact that the Government will provide the up-front finance for anyone eligible who secures a place at university so that graduates do not have to contribute to the cost of their higher education until they are earning more than £21,000.
We are also proposing a generous student support package to help full-time students with living costs. The poorest students will be able to get more non-repayable grant than under the current system and most full-time students should have no less overall support for living costs than they do now.
We are asking universities and colleges that want to charge above £6,000 per annum (and subject to a limit of £9,000 in exceptional circumstances) for any or all of their courses to first secure the agreement of the Office for Fair Access, and meet tough new access conditions. We have also announced a new £150 million National Scholarship Programme to attract bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them access universities and guaranteeing them extra support to help them meet the costs of going to university.
Good quality and diverse higher education is a benefit to society and to the economy in the long term. These proposals will ensure that our world-class higher education sector has the sustainable long-term funding it needs and that all those who can benefit from a higher education have the opportunity to participate.