Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on student numbers of ending maintenance grants.

The Government’s reforms aim to ensure the higher education system remains affordable given the need to repair the public finances, by asking those students who will benefit most from studying to meet more of their costs. At the same time, they will also increase the total financial resources available to students from the poorest households. The growth in student numbers since 2012, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, suggests that in general students are not deterred from entering higher education when asked to bear more of the cost of their study where this can be met through greater access to loan finance.