Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to Ukrainian nationals who are in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, are continuing to study remotely for qualifications at Ukrainian education institutions and who are unable to access either universal credit or UK student loans because they are students at institutions outside the UK.

It is important to maintain parity of treatment for all students in higher education (HE), whether they are a domestic student or an international student studying remotely with an oversees education provider.

Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK HE provider. In England, domestic students studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.

To support those who are granted leave under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and have enrolled at UK universities, we have extended access to HE student support, home fee status, tuition fee caps, advanced learner loans and 19+ funding allocations. This ensures Ukrainians who have been affected by the war in Ukraine can access support on the same basis as those within other protection-based categories, such as refugees.

The government remains committed to supporting universities in Ukraine who are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. This also includes those studying through the UK twinning programme of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. The programme provides financial support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.

If a Ukrainian student decides to undertake a Ukrainian university course from the UK, the department encourages students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies. They should also speak to their university about the intensity of study they are offering, as this may impact their ability to access government support, through Universal Credit, whilst in the UK.