Following a Written Ministerial Statement to the House of Commons in October, Universities Minister Jo Johnson, on Wednesday provided a further announcement on student finance arrangements for higher education students undertaking a course of study in the 2018/19 academic year beginning in August 2018. Johnson confirmed that:
- Maximum grants and loans for living and other costs will be increased by forecast inflation (3.2%) in 2018/19.
- Students starting part-time degree level courses from 1 August 2018 onwards will qualify for loans for living costs.
Johnson stated that the announcements “build on the Government’s existing reforms to Higher Education, which have delivered a 25% increase in university funding per student per degree since 2012. University funding per student is today at the highest level it has ever been in the last 30 years”.
Johnson’s Written Ministerial statement in October set out provisional changes to higher education student finance in 2018 which confirmed:
- The maximum level of tuition fees for a full-time course will remain at £9,250 for the next academic year (2018/19).
- From April 2018, the repayment threshold for loan repayments will increase from its current level of £21,000 to £25,000 from the 2018-19 financial year. Thereafter the threshold will be adjusted annually in line with average earnings.
Further details of the student support package for 2018/19 are set out in the Higher Education Student Finance for 2018/19 report.
The Department of Health is expected to make a separate announcement on changes to student finance for postgraduate healthcare students and dental hygiene and dental therapy students in 2018/19.