During the Budget debate, Treasury Minister Alan Maclean said that all higher-education students would be eligible to have some or all of their tuition fees paid for in full by the States.
However, the finer details of the proposals have yet to be unveiled and Islanders are being asked to put forward their views on how the grants system should take shape.
The scheme would, if approved by States Members, see tuition fees paid for all families with a household income of less than £150,000, while families earning above that threshold would
still be able to apply for half the fees.
Education Minister Rod Bryans said it was ‘imperative’ Islanders gave their views on the scheme so that he and Senator Maclean could gauge the level of public support for their plans.
Deputy Bryans also said he did not believe the increased opportunities for students to attend UK universities would have a negative impact on Jersey courses such as those offered at Highlands.
He said: ‘The UK is looking at the cost of higher education and asking questions about whether it delivers value for money.
‘We have a massive offering at Highlands and they have increased the number of degrees they are offering, as well as having a better route to local employment.
‘There is also a far greater understanding of what is on offer here and students are aware that they don’t need to go to the UK any more.’
He added that he expected a large number of students to return to the Island and work after completing their degrees and pointed to the 41 newly qualified teachers that were employed by the Education Department last September, the majority of which were Islanders. The grants scheme would be funded in 2018 and 2019 through government underspends and existing contingencies, but the long-term funding required beyond 2019 has yet to be decided.
Senator Maclean has previously said that the higher rate child allowance would be scrapped, providing a £3.5 million saving from 2021 to go towards covering tuition fees, but admitted that further funding would be required beyond that.
The tax relief allows those with children in higher education to claim £6,000 of their earnings tax free, with those on the marginal tax rate able to claim an additional £3,000 tax free.
Drop-in sessions at the Jersey Library are being held as part of the consultation where officers from the Education Department and the Treasury will be available to answer questions. These are scheduled for:
- Monday 18 December – 10 am to 3 pm.
- Tuesday 19 December – 5 pm to 7.30 pm.
- Friday 5 January – 11 am to 4 pm.
- Saturday 6 January – 9 am to 4 pm.
Islanders can also complete an online survey to give their views by logging on to survey.gov.je/s/unifunding
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