The Student Loan Support Group – which has more than 1,000 members and has been lobbying for the States to introduce a loan scheme for over a year – has now launched a second online survey asking both parents and students what their main concerns are.
As hundreds of students prepare to head off to university next month the Education Department is coming under pressure to change the current system.
Jersey parents have previously told the campaign group that they have had to sell assets, use their pension funds and remortgage their family homes to fund their children through university.
Island students cannot access the UK Student Loan Scheme but are entitled to a grant of £1,500 per year through NatWest bank.
Group member, Nicola Heath, said although the UK seems to be going forward in terms of the loans they are offering students – Jersey doesn’t seem to be doing anything.
Her comments come after Education Minister Rod Bryans faced criticism from Chief Minister Ian Gorst, who questioned how seriously he was taking the issue of student loans and expressed concern at how much progress the department had made.
Speaking in the States last month, Senator Gorst said: ‘Work is not progressing as fast as it should be and I have asked for it be progressed much faster.
‘I don’t think the issue has been taken seriously and in terms of where the Education Department are today is not enough. They know this is my sentiment.’
The States have formed a sub-committee which is tasked with finding a solution to the problems of financing Jersey students through university courses.
Mrs Heath said: ‘Rod Bryans has said he has been looking at various loan schemes with local banks for a while but still nothing has happened. He seems to be having lots of discussions but not making any actions.
‘We all used to get very excited when the Education Department said there were things happening – but now we are all getting to the point that until something concrete actually happens it is quite hard to believe anything at all is actually happening.’
More than 260 Islanders completed last year’s survey in which 94 per cent of people said the current grant system does not meet their needs.
Mrs Heath said: ‘We have included some questions about post-graduate funding in the most recent survey because there is now a loan scheme available to those taking postgraduate degrees in England.
Deputy Bryans has said that he is taking the issue of student financing ‘very seriously’ and is in talks with an Island bank which had drafted possible loan models. He has also sent someone from the department to Caen, in France, to see what is expected of Island students if they choose to pursue one of their free degree courses.
He said: ‘I would like to reassure everyone that I am taking this issue seriously and share the Chief Minister’s concerns about the difficulties parents and students face with funding higher education.
‘We have never relaxed in our ambitions to resolve this problem.
‘More still needs to be done and I’m committed to work with my fellow ministers to find a solution.’
To complete the online survey click here.
