FE allowance mooted

Alan Thomson reports from the Labour Party conference in Blackpool

The government has signalled that it may announce improved financial support for further education students this autumn.

Further and higher education minister Baroness Blackstone told The THES that funding for further education students was being considered as part of the year two and three comprehensive spending review settlement.

The year one settlement, for 1999-2000, was announced in July. The government said the deal for subsequent years would be announced in November.

Baroness Blackstone said this week that the government was considering how to follow up the student funding proposals made by Graham Lane, chairman of the advisory group on student support and further education. Mr Lane recommended a Pounds 400 million student support package, with a national minimum entitlement replacing discretionary grants.

From next autumn, the government intends to set up pilot projects in areas where participation in further education is low.

The schemes will involve giving 16 to 18-year-olds an education maintenance allowance to replace the child benefit for which their parents would otherwise have been eligible. If successful, the EMAs may be extended.

"We will be coming out with more details about the pilots and seeing what we are intending to do about following up the Lane proposals and proposals on discretionary awards," Baroness Blackstone said.

The all-party further education committee expects to meet Mr Lane soon and is expected to promote his recommendations.