Full grants will rise to �2,700 from next year

The Student Loans Company said 27% of 273,000 applicants had received full grants of �1,000 and 7% a lesser amount. The total cost was �83m.

English education ministers had thought about 30% would get the full amount.

Grants are available on a sliding scale for students whose household income is less than �21,185 a year.

Living costs

The maximum is only available for those whose families make �15,200 or less.

The Higher Education Grant was introduced last year to help with living costs.

It will rise to a maximum of �2,700 when tuition fees of up to �3,000 a year are introduced in autumn 2006.

Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said students with a household income of �17,500 or less would receive the full amount, while those whose families made between that and �37,425 would get a partial grant.

According to the Student Loans Company, the number of higher education entrants receiving the full �1,000 for this year was 74,000, while 18,000 got a partial grant and 181,000 applicants were unsuccessful.

Mr Rammell said: "I am committed to making sure that any person with the ability to go to university has the opportunity to do so. Bringing back maintenance grants is vital to achieving this aim."