The family income thresholds at which students will receive higher education grants have been announced.

Lifelong learning Alan Johnson said on Wednesday that students whose family earn less than £15,200 will receive the full grant of £1000 per year from the 2004 academic year.

Maintenance assistance has been re-introduced to balance the effect of top-up tuition costs being levied from 2006.

Under the original plans unveiled in February the full grant threshold was set at £10,000 but has bee increased following consultation.

A partial grant will be available to those earning between £15,201 and £21,185.

It is estimated that as many as 30 per cent of students will be eligible for the full grant, with the partial grant available to a further 10 per cent.

For the first time, grants will also be available to part-time students studying the equivalent of 50 per cent of a full-time course.

Those earning up to £14,599 will be eligible for a fee grant of up to £575 per year and an annual course costs grants of up to £250.

Partial grants will be available to those earning between £14,600 and £21,487.

Part-time students will be able to apply for financial support for a maximum eight years, compared to the current limit of six.

This is a bureaucratic-free change as students and their families will not need to complete any new forms or provide additional information to get the grant," said Johnson.

"Entitlement will be assessed on the information they currently provide.

"This government wants to encourage more part-time students to aim higher and go to university.

"That is why an additional £39 million is being made available over the next two financial years to boost the provision for part-time students.

"We expect that over 70,000 students will now get help with their fees, more than double the number currently getting assistance through the fee waiver scheme administered by universities."

The National Union of Students gave a guarded welcome to the announcement.

"NUS welcomes the rise in the family income threshold from £10,000 to £15,000, and is glad the government has acknowledged that they got their sums wrong in the white paper," said vice president Chris Weavers.

"However, NUS believes all students should have the benefit of a real living grant of at least £5000 that is not means tested against their family income.

"This rise is a paltry attempt to rectify earlier mathematical mistakes. Thousands of students from low-income families or those estranged from their families will still be no closer to receiving financial support whilst studying for their degrees."