Government considers covering isolating uni students’ rent

Tuesday 17 March 2020

The government is looking at paying Jersey university students’ rent if they are forced to remain in their halls of residence beyond the end of their contract due to self-isolation.

The proposals were announced today by the Education Minister, as she confirmed that all higher education and boarding school students studying off-island will be deemed “essential travellers”.

This applies whether they are studying in the UK or further afield. 

All returning students will have to adhere to tougher new covid-19 self-isolation measures for travellers announced this morning.

Following a statement from the Education Minister, any Jersey students studying higher education provision off-Island, along with boarding school pupils, will be treated as essential travellers, if they wish to return home to Jersey: https://t.co/eoruj0qDrR #CoronavirusJSY pic.twitter.com/9qbMUQd0R6

— Government of Jersey (@GovJersey) March 17, 2020

It comes after parents and guardians of the group of over 1,500 complained of being “in limbo” over whether students should stay put or return.

The Minister, Senator Tracey Vallois, did not urge students to do either, instead stating: “The decision to travel is ultimately up to the students, but we would ask them to carefully consider the current health advice and travel restrictions in the country where they are based. The current advice in Jersey should also be considered.”

“Students should also obtain guidance from their individual university or place of study to establish if there might be any adverse consequences for their ongoing studies arising from leaving at this time.” 

Her advice came alongside the release of guidance in the form of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’, which suggested some students might have additional rent payments covered if covid-19 forces them to self-isolate in their halls of residence beyond the end of their contracts. 

Pictured: The Education Minister urged Jersey students to consider official health advice when deciding whether to return home or not.

It explained: “If students become ill or need to self-isolate while overseas, they need to self-isolate until there are asymptomatic. It is advisable to review the advice issued by the Government of Jersey which may be updated as circumstances change.  

“If this period is during term-time, rent will have already been paid for the student either by parents and/or Student Finance.  

“If this period of self-isolation goes into the summer holidays, when first-year students will need to vacate their halls of residence, the GoJ will need to look at paying additional rent. This will be only paid if the student cannot physically come back at that time.”

The guidance also confirmed that local students will not face a financial penalty in terms of repayment of the unused portion of their student maintenance grants, as is required in legislation, if they choose to come home.

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