Higher Education
Business, Innovation and Skills
Written answers and statements, 29 October 2009
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of university students had not received payments due to them from Student Finance England before the start of the academic year 2009-10; what average length of time is which elapsed from the start of the academic year until receipt of payments for such students; and if he will make a statement.
David Lammy (Minister of State (Higher Education and Intellectual Property), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Tottenham, Labour)
Payments of maintenance grant and loan to higher education students are not made until they have registered on their course and the higher education institution has told the Student Loans Company. Registrations take place throughout September and October.
The Student Loans Company will shortly release figures to show the levels of processing and payment of student support in England for the 2009/10 academic year.
The releases will include the following information:
Total applications received
Applications approved
Applications currently being processed
Ineligible/withdrawn applications
Applications started online but not completed
Further information required from student/sponsors
Students receiving first maintenance payment.
The first release of this information will be on
All eligible students who applied by the deadline had payments approved; some were interim payments. For those who have received an interim payment, but have provided the correct evidence by the end of August, they will receive any additional payments they are entitled to by the end of October.