To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on the his Department’s Review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan.

My Department undertook a review of the postgraduate landscape across the UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI). As part of this review, the Department considered the current levels of postgraduate funding available to Northern Ireland students, as well as what is currently available to students in other areas of the UK and RoI. Following the review, my predecessor published a public consultation on 26 April 2021 which ran until 25 June 2021.

My Department is currently considering the responses to the consultation, and I hope to be able to publish a response later this year. Any outcomes, particularly in relation to the levels of financial support available, will be dependent on the funding that is available to my Department over the coming years.