1 June 2000
FARREN ANNOUNCES BOOST FOR MATURE STUDENTS
Full-time mature students in Northern Ireland received good news today when Minister for Higher and Further Education, Dr Sean Farren, announced a new package of support to give them significant help from September of this year.
Dr Farren announced that the package will consist of:
- the introduction of an income assessed school meals grant for children of mature students; and
- an almost tenfold increase - from £820 to £7,500 - in the level of income a mature student can earn before it is taken into account in assessing his/her entitlement to student support.
The Minister said: "It is vital to the future success of the Northern Ireland economy that we develop the people we need to compete in the 21st century. One of the ways we can make that happen is by promoting wider access to higher education.
"The two measures I have announced today are another significant step in exactly that direction. They will give around 3,000 full-time mature students, many of whom have dependants and consequent financial commitments, a better chance and incentive to gain access to university and stay the course through to completion.
"In particular, these new measures will be of help to lone parents who in the past may have lost their entitlement to income support when they entered higher education."
Dr Farren explained that the measures would ensure that the traditional parity with England and Wales in terms of statutory student support remained.
He added: "This is a very welcome package and comes in addition to the current Review of Student Finance in Northern Ireland, which I announced in February and which is looking at a range of student support measures.
"The bottom line is that today's announcement is good news for full-time mature students, their families and Northern Ireland."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
It is estimated that there are around 3,000 full-time mature students in Northern Ireland.
The income assessed school meals grant will be worth around £250 per child.
The Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment is currently holding a consultation exercise on student finance in Northern Ireland as part of the review of student support announced by Dr Farren on 10 February. Proposals emanating from the Review are expected to be published in late summer.
For further information please contact Simon Burrowes on 028 90257831 or 0850 976067.