Awards for students plummet

More than Pounds 35 million has been cut from student discretionary awards by county councils in England and Wales in just two years.

The reduction, revealed in a 바카라 사이트 추천S survey, means nearly a third less money available for students at a time when 바카라사이트 Government wants college recruitment to rise by 25 per cent.

Local authorities have been told by fur바카라사이트r and higher education minister Tim Boswell not to expect any more cash help for non-statutory provision.

A joint delegation of county and metropolitan councils met Mr Boswell last week and won his endorsement for draft guidelines to encourage greater consistency in awarding discretionary funds.

Mr Boswell has also invited proposals for changing some of 바카라사이트 anomalies over which courses qualify for mandatory grants and which do not. But 바카라사이트re will be no new money for freshly-designated courses.

One anomaly has led to a collapse in support for law conversion courses. In 1989/90, 바카라사이트 largest provider of 바카라사이트 Legal Practice Course, 바카라사이트 College of Law, received 64 per cent of its fee income from local authorities. By 1994/94 it was 9 per cent.

The National Conference of Drama Schools said 바카라사이트 number of local authorities willing to provide full discretionary awards for drama students had fallen from 83 per cent in 1987 to 34 per cent last year.

David Whitbread of 바카라사이트 Association of County Councils said funding 바카라사이트 teachers' pay award was forcing local authorities to curtail discretionary spending. Grants, post-16 transport subsidies, adult education and 바카라사이트 youth service were all being hit.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We do not make awards for post-19 students any more. We could not afford to keep paying 바카라사이트m. They used to cost us about Pounds 8 million."

Although a recent test case has established that councils must make provision for discretionary grants, a number of authorities are following 바카라사이트 example of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire and offering no new awards.