Students: Finance: 5 Nov 2009: Written answers and statements (TheyWorkForYou.com)

Students: Finance

Business, Innovation and Skills

Written answers and statements, 5 November 2009

David Ruffley (- Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Bury St Edmunds, Conservative)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of students who applied for (a) student loans and (b) grants from Suffolk local education authority for the (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10 academic year received them in time for the start of that year.

David Lammy (Minister of State (Higher Education and Intellectual Property), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Tottenham, Labour)

83 per cent. of student finance applications from Suffolk were approved by 18 October, this compares with 88 per cent. at the equivalent point in the previous year. This excludes applications approved but awaiting student signature. Separate figures are not available for loans and grants, which are covered by the same application form. Higher education institutions have different start dates, so data is not available on applications processed in time for the start of the academic year.

Suffolk application status by academic year^{( 1)}
		2008/09		2009/10
		Position 18 October 2008		Position 18 October 2009
		Number of applications	Percentage	Number of applications	Percentage
Approved		9,700	88	10,100	83
Of which:
	Course started prior to 18 October and attendance confirmation received	9,100	82	9,400	77
	Course started prior to 18 October and no attendance confirmation yet	500	5	600	5
	Course start after 18 October	⁽²⁾—	⁽²⁾—	⁽²⁾—	⁽²⁾—
Approved awaiting student signature		300	3	400	4
In progress		500	4	800	6
Online application not completed		200	2	300	3
Ineligible/cancelled		300	3	500	4
Withdrawn/suspended		⁽²⁾—	⁽²⁾—	⁽²⁾—	⁽²⁾—
Total applications		11,100	100	12,200	100
⁽¹⁾ Application figures rounded to nearest 100. ⁽²⁾ Less than 50 applications. Source: Student Loans Company.

After the application has been assessed and approved, a student who applied online will then need to sign a declaration form. If they are a new student, their national insurance number will need to be verified with the Department for Work and Pensions. Thereafter payment will be released once confirmation of attendance has been received from the higher education institution.

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