The Department of Education is thanking the public for submitting views in response to its public consultation on support for students in higher education.

The Department consulted the public in December on the current level of provision in view of increasing demand and costs and the likelihood of changes in the funding for UK higher education institutions.

The number of students supported in further and higher education in the United Kingdom and beyond under the Student Awards Regulations is currently 1,330.  The Department’s budget for Student Awards in 2009/10 is ?11.5m, of which ?1.4m is the estimated cost of postgraduate support.

The consultation paper offered five proposals for comment on the provision for postgraduate awards and a further four regarding support for undergraduate awards.
 
When the consultation period closed on Friday, 160 responses had been received from a wide variety of sources including students at school, undergraduate and postgraduate level, parents, teachers and other individuals and organisations.

Director of Education John Cain said, "We are most grateful to the public for taking time to let us know their views on this important topic.

"There are many interesting observations and suggestions and we will now be taking time to review them closely and will then take them into consideration in the formulation of the draft Student Awards Regulations, which will be considered by the Department."

Mr Cain said that Education Minister Anne Craine MHK (pictured) would present the regulations to Tynwald in April for consideration for approval.