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The number of higher education discretionary grants awarded by local authorities dropped to 9,000 in 1995/96 - a fall of 39 per cent on the previous year. Government figures show spending on these grants fell by a third in the same period to Pounds 19 million. The number of further education discretionary award-holders was 146,000 in 1995/96, a 19 per cent drop from the year before.