Press Release: Ministers must come clean about how many will lose out due to student grants fiasco
Conservatives have today called on the Government to confirm exactly how many students will be affected by the changes to student grants announced last week, following reports that the true number is at least 80,000, double that originally given by John Denham.
John Denham scrapped Gordon Brown’s new grants system on Wednesday after ministers were forced to own up to a ‘miscalculation’ which left a £200m black hole in their budget.
Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary David Willetts said:
“Ministers need to come clean about exactly how many people will miss out as a result of Gordon Brown’s student grants fiasco.
“Last week John Denham said up to 40,000 students would be affected but now it looks like the real figure could be far more.
“Ministers avoided addressing public concerns about the u-turn by refusing to make an oral statement in Parliament, unlike when they announced the original scheme. As a result, thousands of students still have no idea what financial help they are entitled to if they start university next year.
“It is now vital that John Denham comes to Parliament at the earliest opportunity to explain exactly who will miss out and by how much.”
Notes to Editors
“Student grant blunder will hit 80,000 middle-income families” (Sunday Times, 2 November 2008) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article5063031.ece
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