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1205163

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of international students who will study at UK universities in the 2020-21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>In the 2018/19 academic year, tuition fees from international students at UK higher education providers accounted for around £7 billion of sector income. The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economies. The higher education sector, including student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers, including restrictions on travel. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak and a possible reduction in the number of international students poses significant challenges and we stand ready to help the sector with various mitigations.</p><p>On Monday 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in higher education at a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Full details of the package have been published on GOV.UK: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students</a>.</p><p>The government is also working to ensure that existing rules and regulations, including visa regulations, are as flexible as possible for international students under these unprecedented circumstances. For example, on 16 June, the government confirmed that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic year provided students intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow. In addition, higher education providers will be flexible in accommodating applicants’ circumstances where possible, including if applicants are unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the academic year.</p><p>The new graduate route, due to be launched in summer 2021, provides an opportunity for international students who have been awarded their degree to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years. The government has also confirmed that those studying by distance/blended learning will be eligible to apply for the graduate route provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2021.</p><p>On Friday 5 June, the Department for Education announced Sir Steve Smith as the International Education Champion, a key deliverable of the 2019 International Education Strategy. Sir Steve Smith will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, tackling international challenges such as those posed to attracting international students and forging lasting global connections. The International Education Strategy, published in March 2019 by the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade, set out a commitment to review progress following its publication.  The review, which we intend to publish this autumn, will ensure that the International Education Strategy responds to this new context and the challenges that are posed by COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 02/07/2020 17:02:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205164

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Students
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of domestic students who will study at UK universities in the 2020-21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.</p><p>There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.</p><p>We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61576 61580 question first answered 02/07/2020 16:31:55 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205165

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of prospective students who will defer their studies at UK universities in the 2020-21 academic year as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.</p><p>There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.</p><p>We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61575 61580 question first answered 02/07/2020 16:31:55 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205166

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to help prevent universities from becoming insolvent as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts.</p><p>On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.</p><p>We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more money in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.</p><p>On 27 June, the government announced a further package of support to research-active universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities. This includes £280 million of government funding, and a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, which will be available from autumn. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.</p><p>The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students (OfS) the regulator in England, estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.</p><p>The department is working closely with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop a restructuring regime for HE providers in England. We will only intervene where we find there is a case to do so and only where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate, and as a last resort.  A restructuring regime will review providers’ circumstances and assess the need for restructuring, financial support and any attached conditions. We are discussing our approach with the devolved administrations.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61579 question first answered 10/07/2020 12:57:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205167

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions has he had with representatives of universities on the planned (a) delivery and (b) format of higher education courses in the 2020-21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>Departmental officials and I have been engaging with the sector to help to ensure that higher education providers can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and which help students achieve their academic goals. The vast majority of providers are planning for a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching in the autumn term, and we have already seen some fantastic, innovative preparations for blended education for the next academic year. Delivering through a mixture of face-to-face and online provision will enable them to prioritise safety and to comply with guidance from Public Health England.</p><p>Departmental officials are also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which has recently published guidance, attached [1], setting out 4 key principles to inform providers as they plan for the next academic year. The principles are that any move to on-site activity is safe and secure for staff and students, that degree-awarding bodies maintain quality and standards in the move to flexible provision, that providers engage with students and staff in planning changes to delivery and assessment of teaching and learning and that providers' planning scenarios are flexible and responsive to students' needs.</p><p>As providers have moved a significant proportion of their provision online for both the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year and for the next academic year, maintaining the quality and value of online teaching and learning has been at the forefront of our actions. While the methods of delivery may have changed, we are engaging with the sector and the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that the depth and breadth of the curriculum, the quality of the teaching and the value of the degree achieved are maintained. This will help to ensure that any online learning provides the same academic value to students as campus-based learning. <br> <br> The OfS and the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education have both also recently issued guidance on student and consumer protection issues during the COVID-19 outbreak. The OfS and I have been clear that providers should give students clear and transparent information on what they can expect from their course in the next academic year and the extent to which initial teaching will be online, how this will happen and what support there will be for online learning.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61582 question first answered 08/07/2020 15:48:45 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan attachment 1 file name 61578 61582 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education guidance - 'Preserving quality and standards through a time of rapid change'.pdf title 61578_61582_guidance
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205168

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to provide additional financial support to universities to supplement any shortfall in funding as a result of declining student numbers in the 2020/21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts.</p><p>On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.</p><p>We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more money in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.</p><p>On 27 June, the government announced a further package of support to research-active universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities. This includes £280 million of government funding, and a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, which will be available from autumn. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.</p><p>The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students (OfS) the regulator in England, estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.</p><p>The department is working closely with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop a restructuring regime for HE providers in England. We will only intervene where we find there is a case to do so and only where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate, and as a last resort.  A restructuring regime will review providers’ circumstances and assess the need for restructuring, financial support and any attached conditions. We are discussing our approach with the devolved administrations.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61577 question first answered 10/07/2020 12:57:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205171

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department made of the value of online learning for university students.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>Departmental officials and I have been engaging with the sector to help to ensure that higher education providers can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and which help students achieve their academic goals. The vast majority of providers are planning for a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching in the autumn term, and we have already seen some fantastic, innovative preparations for blended education for the next academic year. Delivering through a mixture of face-to-face and online provision will enable them to prioritise safety and to comply with guidance from Public Health England.</p><p>Departmental officials are also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which has recently published guidance, attached [1], setting out 4 key principles to inform providers as they plan for the next academic year. The principles are that any move to on-site activity is safe and secure for staff and students, that degree-awarding bodies maintain quality and standards in the move to flexible provision, that providers engage with students and staff in planning changes to delivery and assessment of teaching and learning and that providers' planning scenarios are flexible and responsive to students' needs.</p><p>As providers have moved a significant proportion of their provision online for both the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year and for the next academic year, maintaining the quality and value of online teaching and learning has been at the forefront of our actions. While the methods of delivery may have changed, we are engaging with the sector and the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that the depth and breadth of the curriculum, the quality of the teaching and the value of the degree achieved are maintained. This will help to ensure that any online learning provides the same academic value to students as campus-based learning. <br> <br> The OfS and the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education have both also recently issued guidance on student and consumer protection issues during the COVID-19 outbreak. The OfS and I have been clear that providers should give students clear and transparent information on what they can expect from their course in the next academic year and the extent to which initial teaching will be online, how this will happen and what support there will be for online learning.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61578 question first answered 08/07/2020 15:48:45 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan attachment 1 file name 61578 61582 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education guidance - 'Preserving quality and standards through a time of rapid change'.pdf title 61578_61582_guidance
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205172

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Grants and Loans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have applied to Student Finance England for (a) tuition fee loans and (b) maintenance grants for the 2020/21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2020 answer text <p>Student Finance England processes applications for student financial support for English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England. Eligible full-time and part-time undergraduate students can apply for up-front tuition fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Eligible students attending full-time courses and part-time degree and equivalent level courses can also apply for partially means-tested loans towards their living costs. Maintenance grants are only available in 2020/21 for small numbers of continuing full-time students who started their courses before 2016/17.</p><p>Applications for student support for full-time students opened in mid-February, and for part-time students in mid-June. As of 18 June 2020, Student Loan Company had processed 742,000 applications to Student Finance England for undergraduate tuition fee loans, 716,000 for maintenance loans, and 800 for maintenance grants for the 2020/21 academic year.</p><p>Students can apply for student finance up to nine months after the commencement of their course each academic year. This means that application numbers are likely to continue to rise as we approach the start of the 2020/21 academic year and for a period beyond that.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 06/07/2020 17:16:21 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1204827

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Postgraduate Education: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) financial and (b) educational support is provided to postgraduate students whose education has moved online.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
uin	60865
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2020 answer text <p>This is a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies.</p><p> </p><p>Eligible students studying designated postgraduate courses online are entitled to apply for a postgraduate loan. The rate of loan is the same for all students.</p><p> </p><p>Higher education providers are working to ensure that learning and teaching continues and is completed through the use of online teaching and other digital delivery. Providers will contact students to tell them how this will affect their studies.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for Students, the higher education regulator in England, has produced guidance on practical ways in which students can complete their studies whilst ensuring quality and standards are upheld. This covers teaching, learning and assessment during this difficult time - further details are available here: <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-for-providers-about-quality-and-standards-during-coronavirus-pandemic/" target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-for-providers-about-quality-and-standards-during-coronavirus-pandemic/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The government is also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the professional bodies and the Office for Students to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and allow people to progress.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 03/07/2020 14:00:16 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1204921

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Sixth Form Education: Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has plans to extend the funding of free school meals over the 2020 summer holiday to students studying in (a) sixth form colleges and (b) 16-19 academies.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	60723
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2020 answer text <p>Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government fully understands that children and parents face an unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a COVID Summer Food Fund which will enable families with school children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the six-week holiday period.</p><p>Our guidance on the COVID Summer Food Fund is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-summer-food-fund" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-summer-food-fund</a>.</p><p>More information on free school meals for students in 16 to 19 provision over the summer will be announced shortly.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 09/07/2020 16:59:29 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson