Student loan support getting closer?

Thursday 26 February 2015

Education Minister Rod Bryans revealed that his officers are meeting with the Treasury and the Community Savings Bank to try and make progress on a loan scheme to support young people and families with the cost of university.

Deputy Bryans faced questions at the second “Any Questions” event at St Clement on Tuesday night about the issue, after Chief Minister Ian Gorst said at the first event that he thought Jersey should have a UK-style loans system.

The event was packed with around 80 people attending – and the organisers change.je had to put out extra chairs to accommodate the crowd.

And Deputy Bryans – who only took over the job of Education Minister in November – says that they are working on how the system might work, and the question of how to balance the cost of the system between the taxpayer and the young students.

“The problem is still the conundrum of where do you place the pressure,” he said.

“We have met with Brian Curtis from the Community Savings Bank, and he has come up with a couple of suggestions about how we can move forward.

“Our finance director has a meeting scheduled with Brian and the Treasury, that is happening within a couple of weeks.

“I love the notion of working with the Community Savings Bank to provide those sorts of loans, it’s what we should be doing as a society.”

Deputy Bryans was one of four panelists at the event, alongside St Clement Constable Len Norman, Deputy Sam Mezec, blogger Rico Sorda and employment lawyer Vicky Milner.

The next Any Questions event takes place on 24 March in Grouville, and runs from 7.30 pm to 9 pm.