Massive approval for uni funding plans

Monday 29 January 2018

Despite the lack of detail on how they will be paid for, ministerial plans to pay for higher education for the majority of students have been strongly supported by islanders.

Under plans laid out by the Treasury Minister during his 2018 Budget speech, it was announced that more funding would be added to the current student grant scheme to allow every student living in a household with annual income under £150,000 to have their tuition fees of up to £9,250 a year paid by the States of Jersey. Those in higher earning homes would still get half of that amount.

More than 3,000 islanders poured in with their thoughts when the plans went out to consultation for five weeks between December and January – one of the largest feedback responses ever received by the government.

It also received one of the highest ever approval ratings – 88% were in favour of the proposal overall. 

Support was highest among those aged 16 to 18 (99.7%) and closely followed by 11 to 16-year-olds (97.3%). Approval ratings were over 90% for all aged between 18 and 49, and stood at 81.5% for 50 to 59. 

Support fell dramatically among the over 60s to just 54.6%.

The majority of respondents were parents (2,151), 506 were school students, 247 were university students and 186 were graduates. 

Asked about the fairness of the proposal, only 16% of people felt the top income level was too high, and just 61 people said that students should be made to return to Jersey. 46 people expressed a preference for a loan scheme.

When asked “what would this mean to you?”, nearly 700 people said it would mean less stress due to debt, remortgaging or even selling their family home. Just 77 people expressed concern over higher taxes. 

In the comments section, islanders gave a snapshot of the life-changing impact such a scheme could have – or could have had – on the lives of both them and their children.

Several parents spoke of having to dip into their pension money to continue their children’s education and the fear that they “will not have as much money available to me in my old age.”

One commented that the new system “will make such a difference as we don’t have the funds to send [our second daughter to university] having used up our retirement pot on her elder sister.”

Another set of parents – both hospital employees – described how their family could “barely make ends meet here” and are therefore considering returning to the mainland so that their children can access UK student loans. 

Not all comments were positive, however. One islander said that families with insufficient funds should embrace “reality and life”, while another described degrees as “nothing more than opportunities for socialising in the UK.” “Many students do not return to Jersey so why should we fund them?” they asked.

A more grateful commenter wrote: “There is no way with the cost of our mortgage and outgoings would we be able to fund both [of our children], or perhaps even one of them to go to university. How can I tell one child they can go but the other they can’t ?? I cried with relief when I was told of the new proposals and cant thank the states enough. Education should be the right of any individual and not just for the wealthy. THANKYOU !!!”

Despite many parents’ jubilation at the original announcement, the plans are still yet to be set in stone.

Ministers are said to be considering amendments to the original proposal. A report and full plan should be launched “as soon as possible” by the Education Minister to be voted on by the States Assembly, but no firm date has been provided on this. 

Nonetheless, the Chief Minister maintained that Education remained a “strategic priority” of the Council of Ministers. 

“A highly skilled workforce is essential if we are to ensure Jersey’s continued prosperity but, over and above that, I believe this is a fantastic thing to do for our students. It means they can aim high for themselves and for our island,” he said.