YOUR article (LET, April 25) concerning our MA programme in European Union Studies has been brought to my attention. It may be helpful to your readers if I respond to the points therein.

1. The provision of transport for students is not an eligible expense under European Social Fund criteria and, therefore, contrary to your editorial, there is no transport subsidy.

2. The Diploma in European Union Studies recruited 18 students on commencement in 1995 and, to ensure that these students received access to the highest quality learning resources available, we undertook, at our expense, to bring them in our main campus in Ormskirk on one day per week to provide full access to our new library and computing facilities and our tutorial staff.

Twelve successful Diplomates then registered for an MA degree in 1996, and we have continued to provide this support for them.

3. In recent weeks, a number of students have chosen to work independently on their final research projects, while others have been successful in gaining employment.

To ensure access to learning support for those who wished it, we have, however, continued to fund transport to Ormskirk once a week. The quote of £60 from Blackburn District Transport remains the most competitive, given the numbers who could have availed themselves of this service; the deployment of a particular vehicle and decisions over the use of that vehicle and driver during the rest of the day are, of course, matters for the bus company, not ourselves.

As a responsible higher education provider, we will honour our commitment to get those students to Ormskirk for the remaining three Tuesdays until the course finishes in May. We are, however, looking at alternative means of transport.

In conclusion, and as many of your readers will be aware, Edge Hill has a long history of providing education and training opportunities for people in East Lancashire, particularly in teacher education and in partnership with other local education providers. Because of the importance we attach to this work, we have chosen to subsidise these activities from our other resources and, where appropriate, we would hope to continue to do so.

DR JOHN CATER, Chief Executive, Edge Hill University College.

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