Catalogue description Board of Education: Scheme for Higher Education of Ex-Servicemen, Papers

Chronological.

The Scheme for the Higher Education of Ex-Service Students of the First World War was announced by the Government on 14th December, 1918 and came into operation on 1st January, 1919, with the object of restoring a supply of men of higher general, scientific, professional and business attainments. Those eligible for assistance were officers and men of British nationality who had served in the Navy, Army, Air Force, Royal Defence Corps, or in contingents paid out of funds provided by the United Kingdom Parliament.

Applications for assistance under the Scheme were submitted through the Appointments Branch of the Ministry of Labour to the Departments responsible for the types of training undertaken; the Ministry of Labour for example, dealt with practical training and part-time courses and the Ministry of Agriculture administered agricultural training courses.

The Board of Education was accorded responsibility for full-time courses of education at universities and other public institutions providing full-time day courses of university standard planned to extend over at least one year in universities, university colleges or other approved Institutions or full-time courses, lower than university standard, of not less than three months duration and planned for students who had received secondary school education or its equivalent. Assistance was available for courses in universities in the dominions and colonies and also continental and American universities.

To bring the Scheme into immediate operation and meet students' initial financial difficulties, the Board of Education paid interim grants, pending a definite award, on recommendation of the heads of institutions. Local advisory committees were set up to determine the amount of definitive award. The value of an award was subject to quarterly review and applicants refused assistance had the right of appeal.

The final date for submission of applications was 30th June, 1920 and the estimate of 15,000 awards at a cost of not more than £6 millions was exceeded by some 11,000 awards, the total cost rising to over £8 millions; approximately sixty per cent of ex-servicemen to receive grants served in the ranks.

The scheme was declared to have fulfilled its objectives and benefited both students and the life of the institutions they attended.