Student Financial Support

EDM number 138 in 1989-90, proposed by Lawrence Cunliffe on 04/12/1989.

That this House notes with concern that Britain has proportionately fewer higher education students than almost any of its industrial competitors despite spending more of its higher education budget on student maintenance; further notes the concerns voiced by honourable Members on all sides of the House over the Government's top-up loans scheme, and especially its cumbersome and expensive administration, its flat-rate method of repayment and the barrier to entry it may entail; believes that if Britain is to compete within a single European market and a wider world economy it must increase significantly the numbers in higher education; believes that the present grants system supplemented by parental contributions, which often go unpaid, is inadequate; also believes that graduates should repay a proportion of their maintenance costs if they are in a position to do so; believes further that if graduates were required to pay such contributions, funds could be released to promote higher education access among 16 to 19 year olds; and calls on the Government to institute a system of student financial support which frees students in study from financial burden and from dependence on parental contribution, while enabling graduates on above average earnings to contribute to their maintenance costs based on an ability to pay through their income tax.

This motion has been signed by a total of 15 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.