Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Student Opportunity Allocation for 2015-16 will be maintained at the same level as in 2014-15.

The proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education this year is at record levels.

Widening participation in higher education remains a priority for this Government. We will announce the funding we will make available for higher education in 2015/16, in the usual way in our grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which is due for publication in early 2015. HEFCE is responsible for deciding the detail of allocations to institutions.