The Westminster government should provide more funding support for part-time students and those who already hold a higher education qualification, according to recommendations from MPs.

The report,?A Plan for an Adult Skills and Lifelong Learning Revolution, from the House of Commons Education Committee, says that means-tested fee grants should be introduced for part-time students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds who study courses in ¡°priority skill areas¡±.

It adds that maintenance support, which is?currently only available to those studying face-to-face degree programmes, should be extended to all part-time students. The report notes that the exclusion of distance learners ¡°is an inequality that is likely to appear increasingly unfair and arbitrary as maintenance loans are extended to students at other institutions whose courses have moved online due to the Covid-19 pandemic¡±.

The number of part-time undergraduates in England collapsed by 53 per cent between 2008-09 and 2017-18, largely?because of the tuition fee reforms in 2012, which trebled tuition fees, abolished maintenance grants and raised interest fees on student loan debt.

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The committee also calls for a relaxation of equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) funding rules. Most students who hold a higher education qualification are not eligible for fee and maintenance loans for a second qualification at the same or a lower level, but MPs say these funding restrictions should be removed for courses that ¡°meet the skills needs of the UK economy¡±.

The report adds that all higher education institutions should offer degree apprenticeships.

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The recommendations chime with calls from?experts in the sector, who, following Boris Johnson¡¯s?pledge to create a Lifetime Skills Guarantee?in September, urged the government to reintroduce grants and ensure funding is available to people already holding degrees to boost post-pandemic retraining.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com