Middle-income parents will be forced to pay more for their children’s university education after the Government miscalculated the number of students eligible for grants.

It was forced to renege on some of its funding commitments after admitting it had underestimated the number of people entitled to a full student maintenance grant this year by almost 10 per cent.

It has now reduced the income threshold for the means-tested maintenance grant by 17 per cent to £50,020. Families earning below £25,000 will still get the full grant of £2,835. But some 40,000 prospective students - 10 per cent of next year’s intake - are expected to lose out.

A full or partial grant, which covers living costs but not fees, was made available to all students whose parents earnt up to £60,000, for the first time this year. Previously the cap was £39,305.

Source : The Times Online - Students
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