Catalogue description Records of the Awards Branch

In 1920 local authority expenditure on aid and grants to students was brought within the Exchequer grant system and the state scholarship scheme was introduced. State financial assistance was to be extended to those in universities, with particular emphasis on scientific scholarships. Following the success of the scheme for aid for the further education of ex-servicemen at the end of the First World War, under which the Board of Education had been responsible for university level courses of at least one year's duration, a scheme of state scholarships for university education was established. Local advisory committees were formed to determine awards in connection with the scheme for ex-servicemen. In order to aid the assessment of grants to state scholars, the board obtained the assistance of committees from the universities. In 1942 the maintenance of university students was set at a uniform figure by the board and the role of the committees came to an end in 1947. In that year technical state scholarships were also instituted.

In 1944 when the Board of Education was converted into a ministry, its powers and responsibilities were increased. Additionally, under the Education Act 1944, local education authorities were empowered to grant scholarships, known as major awards, to enable a greater number of students to pursue courses of education at universities. A third public award, alongside the state and local education authority major awards, was introduced after the Second World War: the Further Education and Training Scheme for demobilised men and women.

The overlap between the ministry and local education authorities was confused and the dual system proved disadvantageous. In 1958 the Anderson Committee recommended the discontinuation of all types of state scholarship, and it was hoped that an improved system would better cope with the post-war increase in entries to universities.

When the Department of Education and Science was set up in 1964, responsibility for awards and scholarships passed to the newly formed Universities Branch.