To ask the Minister for the Economy whether her Department allocates funds to (i) universities; (ii) university colleges; and (iii) further education colleges, to deliver programmes that assist students with cost of living struggles.

My Department provides Higher Education Support Funds, also known as Hardship Funds, to assist students at our local universities and university colleges who demonstrate genuine financial hardship and, without additional financial support, may not be able to continue with or complete their course or face financial difficulties in meeting their living costs. They are administered by the local Higher Education Institutions in line with Conditions of Funding set out by my Department.

Eligible students can receive up to £3,500 for assistance in either the form of a loan or a grant. The funding baseline has been £2.79m for a number of years, however additional funding in respect of the impacts of both Covid-19 and the concurrent cost of living crisis as a result of the war in Ukraine was provided on a discretionary basis.

In addition, my Department allocates funds to the six Further Education (FE) colleges to administer an ongoing Hardship Fund programme which provides eligible FE students experiencing cost of living struggles with financial assistance for fees, books, equipment, transport costs, associated living costs and childcare costs for learners aged over 18. Over the last three years, my Department has also allocated a total of £2.6m resource funding to FE Colleges to run a Winter Warmer Scheme pilot, which has delivered targeted cost of living support interventions directly to FE students to ensure that they are nourished, have warm clothing, and are informed of schemes and initiatives designed to help.

Other FE student support is available which addresses cost of living struggles which is funded by my Department and administered by the Education Authority (EA) including FE grants, Care to Learn childcare, plus Home to College transport and Free School Meals (FSM). Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is also available for eligible students.

Similarly, means-tested maintenance grants and loans, and a Special Support Grant (for those eligible to claim means-tested benefits such as Housing Benefit or Universal Credit whilst studying), are available from Student Finance NI to assist with living costs for those studying Higher Education. Further targeted support for Higher Education students is available in the form of the Disabled Students’ Allowance, Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance and Adult Dependants’ Grant.