Support package for NI students

The package will benefit low income undergraduates

Details of a support package for Northern Ireland students, worth an extra £65m over the next three years, have been revealed.

The minister for further and higher education, Sean Farren, announced details of the "major overhaul" of current arrangements in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday.

The measures include bursaries of up to £1,500 for 14,000 undergraduates on low incomes.

Last December, Dr Farren announced that he intended to re-introduce grants for university students from low income families.

He also said he intended to extend the number of students who were exempt from paying tuition fees.

Sean Farren announced support package

But he stopped short of abolishing tuition fees altogether.

On Monday, Dr Farren said 17,000 students in both universities and colleges will be able to get bursaries - 14,000 in higher education and 3, 000 in further education.

University students on any course will be able to get up to £1,500 each year and the same amount will be available to further education students on certain courses.

Childcare grants of up to £85 a week for one child will be given to student parents on low incomes.

And 1,000 extra higher education places are to be created.

Dr Farren told the assembly: "My proposals will make a real and meaningful difference to the lives of students and their families and are targeted specifically at those from less well off backgrounds.

"Half of all higher education students will benefit through an increase in the threshold for fee contributions and the provision of bursaries."

Student leaders have welcomed the announcement which they say brings Northern Ireland changes into line with England and Wales.

Last December, Dr Farren said he believed well-off families would benefit most from the removal of university tuition fees, because already more than 70% of students were exempt from paying all or part of their fees.

He said the Northern Ireland Executive had already agreed to:

Means-tested non-repayable bursaries of up to about £1,500 a year for university students.

A child-care grant for mature students on low incomes.

A further increase in the number of university places.

A rise in the income families can earn while still being entitled to free or reduced tuition fees.

However, he said students from better-off families would not be able to get as large loans as they could currently borrow.

Dr Farren said that in further education, the focus was on encouraging people to study subjects in short supply in the workplace.

Courses such as electrical engineering, computer software and tourism and hospitality would no longer charge fees and students who chose to study them could get grants if they were from low income families.