MORE needs to be done to stop the ‘brain drain’ of Jersey tax-payer funded students not returning to the Island, perhaps even converting their grants into loans, a minister has said.
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said that he would like to create incentives for Jersey students to come back at some point once they had completed their studies.
Stressing that he was speaking in a personal capacity, he said: ‘At the moment, half the people we fund do not come back to Jersey.
‘That means we are effectively funding other jurisdictions’ economies, and we should be doing more to stop this brain drain. To put it in pure economic terms, the Island is not getting enough return on our investment. It is a personal view, but I am talking to other ministers about it. I cannot speak for them, but I think there is an acknowledgement among other ministers that there is a brain drain and we need to explore mechanisms to stem that.’
He added: ‘The grant might convert to a loan after five or ten years – I appreciate that a lot more work needs to be done but I think it is something worth discussing at the Council of Ministers.’
The government provides financial help for students who are resident in Jersey and who wish to undertake a course in higher education or postgraduate professional education.
A means-tested grant may be payable and is composed of tuition fees of up to £9,250 per year, and a maintenance grant of up to £8,572 per academic year.
To achieve the top level of funding – £17,822 – a student’s total ‘relevant income’, which may include the income of their parents and/or spouse, must be less than £60,000.
Responding to Deputy Morel’s comments, which he gave in response to a question after delivering a speech to the Chamber of Commerce this week, Nicki Heath, of the Student Loan Support Group, said that care needed to be taken when discussing ‘return on investment’.
She said: ‘Has the minister thought about other countries who lose skills to us when their graduates come to Jersey? It is far better to look at it as an exchange of skills.
‘And what if one of our students working in medical research finds the answer to a cancer, or a new treatment or a way to lock away carbon? Is that a waste of our investment?
‘This is the very reason why the UN Right to Education exists in the format it does. Education benefits humanity, not just the individual and every state has a duty to progressively move towards free education and not impose retrogressive steps.’
However, Mrs Heath said she understood why Deputy Morel had raised the issue.
She added: ‘It is not straightforward – some jobs simply do not exist in Jersey, or there are no professional pathways here. Why come back if you cannot progress your career?
‘Of course, there is the whole issue of how our young people can afford to live here. Also, is it right if some courses are preferred over others? At the moment, for instance, postgraduate funding has to be for a professional qualification. For everyone else, it is a complete lottery, and the humanities are suffering.’
Mrs Heath also questioned whether it was still the case that 50% of students did not return, as she thought that statistic may be based on old data.
Asked for her views on Deputy Morel’s idea, Education Minister Inna Gardiner said: ‘Over the last year, I have worked with stakeholders and officers to modernise the Higher Education grant system.
‘As well as increasing funding to reflect the increased cost of living, we have also updated the way student finance is calculated to create a sliding scale for maintenance grants.
‘In my 2023 delivery plan, I have committed to continued work in this area, and this will include consideration of any changes which would encourage students to return to the Island.’
