During oral questions to the Secretary of State for Education, Stephen raised the plight of Muslim students unable to access higher education, because their faith prohibits them from using interest-bearing loans.
Last year, Stephen tabled an Early Day Motion urging the Government to deliver on its previous commitment to provide sharia-compliant student finance. It was signed by 28 MPs. The Government have since launched a consultation on the new lifelong loan entitlement and said it is still considering how alternative student finance could be delivered through this.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen explained that an estimated 4,000 Muslim students do not go to university each year because there is no finance available that is compatible with their faith. He then asked the Secretary of State “can he give us some indication of how much longer Muslim students have to wait?”
You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Secretary of State’s response, below.