The States are due to debate whether to back Senator Alan Maclean’s scheme on Monday 9 April in what will be the final sitting before the election. However, while funding has been found to cover the scheme until 2020, no mechanism has been identified beyond that to pay for the proposals.
Under the scheme, students from households earning under £110,000 per year would have the full cost of university tuition fees paid for by the States while those earning up to £200,000 would have some of the fees covered on a sliding scale.
On top of that, maintenance costs of £7,500 would be available to all families earning up to £50,000 and those earning up to £90,000 would be eligible for living costs on a sliding scale.
Senator Maclean – who is not seeking re-election – has previously admitted that long-term funding measures will need to be included in the next Medium Term Financial Plan. In the short term the scheme is to be funded by departmental underspends and the phasing out of tax relief to families with children in higher education.
The Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel has said that while the new scheme will significantly increase the support provided to students, the measures should only be considered an interim policy.
It also raised concerns about whether the Treasury Minister had underestimated the potential future demand for the scheme and whether he had properly considered other options such as a loan scheme.
Deputy Jeremy Maçon, who chairs the panel, said: ‘There is no doubt that what has been brought forward to the States Assembly will immediately address the issue of the costs of higher education that has affected so many families in recent years. While the panel is pleased that something has finally been brought forward to address this issue, the proposals should only be seen as an interim measure and further work is required to identify a more appropriate long-term solution to the issue of funding higher education.’
Currently, the lowest-income households – earning less than £34,000 a year – can receive up to £9,250 towards tuition fees and up to £6,000 towards maintenance costs. Any household earning more than £101,000 is not entitled to receive financial assistance and students from Jersey cannot access the UK loan scheme.
Deputy Maçon was joined on the panel by Deputies Tracey Vallois and Sam Mézec.
