Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential financial impact of leaving the EU on students who wish to study abroad; and whether she plans to provide funding to support those students.
Answered by Robert Halfon
English-domiciled students attending an overseas institution as part of their UK course are charged a tuition fee of up to £1,350 for their overseas year of study, 15% of the full year fee rate, and they also qualify for fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. The department is freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years to deliver better value for students and to keep the cost of higher education (HE) under control. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
English-domiciled students attending an overseas institution as part of their UK course also qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs paid at the overseas rate. We have increased maximum loans for living costs each year with a 2.8% increase for the current 2023/24 academic year.
The Government prioritises support for eligible English-domiciled students undertaking designated courses at UK HE institutions to ensure the student finance system remains sustainable.
The Turing Scheme, the UK Government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad, also exists to support students at UK institutions who wish to do so. This is on top of the student finance support that HE participants may already qualify for. A UK-wide scheme, funding is available at set rates to contribute to the living costs of participating students. All schools and further education participants will receive funding for travel costs, as well as HE students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Funding also covers visas, passports and related travel insurance for all participants from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as up to 100% of actual additional costs participants might incur as a result of being disabled and/or having a special educational need.
Turing Scheme funding for students across the UK is only available for students who are studying at registered UK education providers. The Scheme supports international mobilities of up to a year, and not the entire duration of a course of study or training undertaken overseas.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the potential (a) merits and (b) risks of Confucius Institutes in the UK.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
We work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and other government departments to continue to support the higher education sector and other related bodies to promote mutually beneficial international partnerships and UK values.
Confucius Institutes promote and teach Chinese culture and language globally. UK providers who host Confucius Institutes are responsible for ensuring that their partnerships are managed appropriately, with the right due diligence in place. The government will continue to support the sector to promote mutually beneficial international partnerships in line with UK values.
This government takes seriously any concerns regarding the operation of international organisations at UK universities. We encourage providers, if they have any concerns, to contact the department with any queries regarding their international collaborations.