Bursaries for students from the Office for Fair Access
The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) today (Thursday) released guidance to universities on the minimum level of bursary they will be required to pay students in 2010/11. Previously the Minister for Higher Education, David Lammy announced that the maximum fee would increase by 2.04% but that the maintenance grant would be frozen for students in English Universities in 2010. This raised questions as to whether universities would be expected to meet the shortfall in the maintenance grant from additional fee income.
The Government announced that:
- the maximum fee payable by full-time students studying at English universities on or after 1st September 2010 and who are being charged variable fees, would increase to £3,290 in 2010-11
- the maximum level of Higher Education Maintenance Grant would remain at £2,906, the same level as for 2009-10.
The Minister has now issued new guidance to OFFA which ends the requirement for the minimum bursary to make up the difference between the maximum maintenance grant and the fee charged. In response, OFFA announced today that a new principle would be adopted and that the minimum bursary would be 10% of the maximum fee. Students receiving the full maintenance grant and being charged the maximum fee of £3,290 will receive a statutory bursary of £329 in 2010.
Pam Tatlow Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+ said, “million+ welcomes the Minister’s recognition that any expectation that universities should make up the difference between the maximum maintenance grant and the fee charged would be inequitable and place an additional burden on the institutions that are already very socially diverse and successful in widening participation.
“Full-time students do not pay fees upfront but the real problem is that the maintenance grant has been frozen by the Government and the important principle set out by Charles Clarke, the then Secretary of State for Education in 2004, that the maximum maintenance grant and the minimum bursary payment should add up to the fee level charged has been broken. However, universities should not be expected to pick up responsibility for cutbacks in state maintenance support.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education. www.millionplus.ac.uk
- The guidance from OFFA can be obtained by calling 0117 931 7053 or emailing chris.scrase@offa.org.uk
- For more information please contact Gemma Tumelty, Public Affairs Officer on 0207 7171657 or 07900 277819.