PARENTS and university students have called for increased financial support to help them tackle the rising cost of living, energy bills and expensive flights to and from the UK.
A recent survey undertaken by the Student Loan Support Group Jersey has revealed that several Islanders were concerned about the impact that tighter budgets were having on their ability to put their child through university – with some parents having to remortgage their properties or considering selling their home.
Currently Islanders can receive financial help from the government on a means-tested basis, to enable them to study at university. There is support of up to £9,250 a year to cover tuition fees and a maintenance grant of up to £7,718 for an academic year.
The current scheme was introduced in 2018 and was designed to provide households with support based on their earnings. Since its introduction the amount of support available has increased once, by 2.9%, which came into effect last month. The rate of inflation recently hit 10.4%.
One Islander, who responded to the anonymous survey which was filled out by 145 parents and 61 students, labelled the grant system ‘out of touch with the real cost of living that families are coping with’.
‘We have already remortgaged once to fund our older two children through medicine and pharmacy and now have had to extend our mortgage for a further ten years to pay the maintenance and some of the tuition fees for our younger children to study.
‘The cost of living both here and in the UK has risen sharply this year but the present system was already not fit for purpose. It seems education is only for the richest families who can fund it on this Island,’ they said.
The parent added that there was no ‘equality’ in the system and that those in the middle-income bracket were being ‘completely squeezed’.
‘We have no objection in funding some of the costs but finding £32,000 for this year alone as there is no extra support for having two students at university at the same time is very worrying. We are having to consider selling our family home. Please can something be done,’ they added.
A total of 61.4% of parents who undertook the survey said they were ‘very worried’ about the rise in the price of gas and electricity, while 35.1% of students said they were ‘very worried’.
One parent said: ‘The cost of utilities has rocketed and I’m not sure how we are going to be able to afford the student utility bills this year.’
Another added: ‘Please consider a proper cost-of-living rise. Actually I think that is vital. Or a one-off extra grant to help struggling families and derive a proper permanent scheme that keeps pace with inflation. Keep your promises and stop treating the student population as if they don’t matter.’
As part of the survey, 74.6% of students were either concerned about the cost of renting or finding somewhere to live, already finding it expensive or finding it difficult to find somewhere they can afford. 86.1% of parents also fell under those categories.
A student who responded described the funding as ‘poor’ and ‘not up to date with inflation’.
‘The maintenance grant, the full amount, just covers rent. That in itself shows the inadequacy of the current funding. The very people that require full assistance, without parents’ input, must be struggling on the current full maintenance grant. Clearly this needs to be adjusted to reflect today’s cost,’ they said.
Another added: ‘What help can I get with energy costs? I have anxiety at not being able to pay bills. Will I have to leave my final year? My mum does not work and cannot pay these high costs.’
Some students also expressed worry about the price of flights to and from the UK.
‘I am concerned about rising travel costs. Especially flights and the way airlines keep cancelling flights on some domestic routes and how that will impact my access to my chosen university,’ they said.
Recently published ministerial plans have shown that Education Minister Inna Gardiner hopes to make legislative changes next year, in order to increase grants for overseas students.
