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| Grants cut over funding blunder | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Financial support for students is to be cut after the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills discovered a £200m funding shortfall. | Financial support for students is to be cut after the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills discovered a £200m funding shortfall. |
| This year, the department expanded financial support, miscalculating that two thirds of students in England would get full (£2,700) or partial grants. | This year, the department expanded financial support, miscalculating that two thirds of students in England would get full (£2,700) or partial grants. |
| But Universities Secretary John Denham said too many students were eligible. | But Universities Secretary John Denham said too many students were eligible. |
| The U-turn means the upper limit to receive grants will now be reduced from a family income of £60,000 to £50,020. | The U-turn means the upper limit to receive grants will now be reduced from a family income of £60,000 to £50,020. |
| The department had expected a third of students to qualify for the full grant - in fact 40% qualified. | The department had expected a third of students to qualify for the full grant - in fact 40% qualified. |
| Ministers got their sums completely wrong Stephen Williams, Liberal Democrats | Ministers got their sums completely wrong Stephen Williams, Liberal Democrats |
| Thousands of better-off students planning to go to university next year will now not receive partial grants of a few hundred pounds - money they would have received had they started university this autumn. | Thousands of better-off students planning to go to university next year will now not receive partial grants of a few hundred pounds - money they would have received had they started university this autumn. |
| The department estimates 10% of students - 35,000 to 40,000 - will be affected. | |
| Mr Denham said the move would help recover £100m of the shortfall, while the remaining £100m will be recovered from departmental savings. | Mr Denham said the move would help recover £100m of the shortfall, while the remaining £100m will be recovered from departmental savings. |
| He said the new student support arrangements would only apply to new students starting in higher education in the next academic year. | He said the new student support arrangements would only apply to new students starting in higher education in the next academic year. |
| Mr Denham stressed that students from poorer backgrounds would still get their full grants. | Mr Denham stressed that students from poorer backgrounds would still get their full grants. |
| Existing students would receive the same support as they were entitled when they started at university, he added. | Existing students would receive the same support as they were entitled when they started at university, he added. |
| Sums wrong | Sums wrong |
| Liberal Democrat University spokesman Stephen Williams said: "Ministers got their sums completely wrong. | Liberal Democrat University spokesman Stephen Williams said: "Ministers got their sums completely wrong. |
| "This kind of incompetence is not going to persuade young people that the government is committed to supporting them with their studies. | "This kind of incompetence is not going to persuade young people that the government is committed to supporting them with their studies. |
| "As we enter a recession, ministers are going to have to face-up to the fact that more students are going to be expecting to receive maintenance support in the years to come." | "As we enter a recession, ministers are going to have to face-up to the fact that more students are going to be expecting to receive maintenance support in the years to come." |