Step-parents to pay university costs

A clause in the government's higher education strategy says the definition of family income will include their wages from 2006.

This is likely to lead to fewer students receiving up to £1,000 a year in means-tested grants.

It also means smaller loans will be available to many step-children, who will in turn have to spend a larger amount of course fees.

Lack of warning

Step-parent Carl Shortland said: "The government has always assessed step-parents as being separate from the family unit. Now it's changed the system overnight without properly telling anyone.

"Step-parents want to know what's going on. Many of us are saving for our children's education and we want to know where we stand.

"It's fair enough to define us as families. It's just that we deserve some warning to prepare."

The new definition of household income is the same as that used by the Inland Revenue.

A DfES spokesman said: "We are committed to ensuring that financial help reaches those who need it most.

"We are therefore updating the way parental income is assessed to include the income of a step-parent when means testing for fees and loans.

"For fairness and consistency we will adopt the more inclusive definition of household income."

The higher education white paper, unveiled by Education Secretary Charles Clarke last week, proposes raising the maximum universities can charge for courses from £1,100 to £3,000 a year, starting in 2006.

" Help reaches those who need it most. "
DfES

Children of families with an annual income of below £30,000 will be exempt from up to the first £1,100 of fees.

The white paper also reintroduces maintenance grants of up to £1,000 for children of families earning less than £20,000 a year.

And loans, currently worth up to £4,815 a year, are means-tested.

The National Union of Students believes some graduates could be left with debts of £30,000.

Mr Clarke and Higher Education Minister Margaret Hodge are to tour England and Wales explaining the policies put forward in the white paper.