A) Student support opened  for students from other EU countries The UK Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has announced new criteria regarding support for students from other EU, relaxing the circumstances in which they are eligible for maintenance grants and loans. European nationals may now become eligible for student interest-free loans and any maintenance grants in England and Wales, provided they have lived in the UK for the three years before the start of their course. This no longer excludes residence wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education. Previously, EU students were entitled to tuition-fee loans, but they were generally not eligible for maintenance grants from the UK government. The new criteria apply to full and part-time students for academic year 2004/05 onwards. B) 40 € million for part-time students HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council of England) and the Department for Education and Skills have announced an additional £40 million for part-time students. Presently around 500,000 UK students are enrolled in part-time courses. Many of them combine their studies with work or family or come from poorer backgrounds. The funding will be distributed to higher education institutions, which will be responsible for reinforcing work with employers and communities and for encouraging enrollment from under-represented groups. This move responds to recent data which reflect an expected decrease of university applicants for the next year following the introduction of top-up fees of £3,000 starting in 2006. UK Department for Education and Skills. Higher Education Student Support
HEFCE news
UKCosa. Guidance Notes For Students 2005-2006