This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for part-time students
14/03/2007
More part time students will have access to funding to help with their study costs next year, it was announced today.
The income threshold for support has been raised from £13,000 to £15,367, enabling more people with lower incomes to participate in Higher Education.
Lifelong Learning Minister Nicol Stephen said:
"It is vital that as many people in Scotland as possible are able to benefit from Further and Higher Education.
"One of the main barriers to learning can be a low income, so it is important that we are able to give financial support to help give everyone the opportunity to study, be it an HNC or a full degree.
"Today's announcement is a relatively small change but one that will be of real practical benefit for many people on lower incomes wishing to undertake part time study."
Peter Syme, Scottish Director of The Open University, Scotland's largest provider for part-time students, said:
"Part-time and flexible learning is the way of the future in meeting Scotland's need for higher level skills. This change is a very welcome first step in what we hope is a process that will see a much improved financial support package for part-time students."
The part-time loan was established in session 2000-2001 to help support people on low incomes wishing to undertake study on a part-time basis. It is at present the only element of mainstream HE student support which is available directly to students studying part-time.
The part-time loan differs from the loan support available to full-time HE students in that it covers course-related costs (travel, books etc.) rather than living costs (for Scottish undergraduate students generally) or fee costs (for Scottish undergraduate students studying in the rest of the UK). This is on the basis that most part-time students are earning and would generally be expected to have adequate funds to cover their living costs and that learners and/or employers would generally cover fee costs. The allocation of loan support for study costs recognises that for students on lower incomes the additional study costs incurred may be a specific disincentive to participation.
The loan for part-time study is a flat-rate amount, set at £500, with a current income assessment threshold of £13,000. When calculating an applicant's eligibility for funding some allowance is made for dependents. The sums disregarded on this basis are £2,000 for husband, wife or civil partner; £2,000 for a first child; £1,000 for subsequent children.
The Scottish Executive is also currently undertaking a wider review of support for part-time study in higher education which will be completed later in 2007. This will make recommendations for further improving arrangements for support available to the growing number of people who are seeking to undertake study on a part-time basis.