| Prisoners studying university courses are believed to | | | | Living costs vary according to where you study and |
| have claimed millions of pounds in student loans and | | | | will inevitably be higher if you live away from home |
| grants. | | | | and higher still if you live away from home and study in |
| Despite the fact that taxpayers are already paying out | | | | London. |
| to keep them in jail, inmates succeeded in claiming | | | | Financial support is available to help with tuition fees in |
| more than 370,000 pounds in the past year alone. | | | | the form of no-interest government loans. Some |
| Officials have been trying to ascertain the scale of the | | | | students may also be eligible for help with |
| payments, made since 1998, amongst worries that the | | | | accommodation and living costs too. Grants and loans |
| overall bill could reach several million pounds. | | | | are paid termly. |
| Universities Secretary John Denham acknowledged | | | | Mr Denham acknowledged in a Commons statement |
| the handouts were "unjustifiable" and stated that all | | | | that rules enable prisoners on full-time university |
| prisoner grants and loans for living costs would be | | | | courses to apply for and claim student grants and |
| cease immediately. | | | | loans. |
| It is beyond belief that ministers had not noticed these | | | | Some inmates were allowed out on day release to |
| payments before. | | | | further their studies, he said. Mr Denham admitted 91 |
| The Government's prolonged ignorance was deemed | | | | prisoners had received approximately 120,000 pounds |
| to be "staggering" by the Taxpayers' Alliance and the | | | | in maintenance grants and 250,000 pounds in |
| Tories said the debacle would appall students | | | | maintenance loans during 2007. |
| struggling to make ends meet. | | | | HM Revenue & Customs is responsible for |
| There are basically two types of cost that students | | | | collecting repayments of the student loans. (The issue |
| face: tuition fees and accommodation and day-to-day | | | | and administration of the student loans continues to be |
| living expenses. For students who started full-time | | | | handled by the Student Loans Company). |
| courses on or after September 2006, the maximum | | | | Repayments start once the student has started work |
| tuition fees that can be charged for 2008/2009 are | | | | and has earnings in excess of 15,000 pounds per year. |
| 3,145 pounds. The maximum contribution cost for the | | | | (Or in the case of those who become self-employed, |
| same academic year for students who began | | | | when profits exceed 15,000 pounds). |
| courses prior to September 2006 is 1,255 pounds. | | | | |