THE “outdated” government student finance scheme could be brought in line with the current needs of Jersey’s young people if a proposition from the former Children’s and Education Minister is approved.
Some of the changes that Deputy Inna Gardiner is seeking to make with her ten-part proposition include allowing more students to access a “clinical component” grant of over £1,000 and dealing with “discrimination” in the funding scheme against students on distance learning courses.
Thresholds for means-tested funding could also change in line with inflation and salaries, and sliding scales could be introduced pending the outcome of a debate later this month.
Deputy Gardiner, who had been undertaking a review of the law around higher education funding when she was Children’s and Education Minister with the previous government, said the proposition was “designed to target small improvements which could help our young people to achieve and aspire to higher education”.
She added: “This proposition is brought in the hope of addressing some of the outdated thresholds, definitions and policies that are applied to the provision of higher-education student funding.”
Currently, an extra maintenance grant of between £1,068 to £1,143 (“clinical component grant”) a year is available to those on courses which have a period of study involving clinical training – these are classified as medicine, veterinary, dentistry or nursing students.
Students training to be paramedics, pharmacists and physiotherapists had previously raised concerns that they were not eligible – but the amount could become available to “related subjects” which require placements, including these courses.
The former minister is also hoping to ensure that all distance-learning courses are funded to the same level as in-person courses, following the same funding application process and criteria.
She said: “Current distance learning policy is based on the view that students will be able to learn and work.
“Indeed, distance learning was historically considered part-time. However, since the pandemic, changes in our ways of learning and studying have resulted in full-time distance courses becoming available.
“Enabling distance learners to access the same means-tested maintenance grant as all other degrees, studied in-person and on-Island, would allow more students to undertake further education.”
Deputy Gardiner has requested that the newly appointed Education and Lifelong Learning Minister – Deputy Rob Ward – makes these changes to the Education (Grants and Allowances) (Jersey) Order 2018 before the next academic year begins in September.
Changes she hopes to see implemented before September 2025 include updates to thresholds for means-tested funding in line with inflation and introducing a sliding scale.
She explained: “Earnings have increased, but real-time earnings have decreased, resulting in more students losing their eligibility to grants relative to disposable income.”
Finally, Deputy Gardiner wants the Treasury to look into the idea of making student loans – as well as grants – available to Jersey students.
“With the rising costs of pretty much everything, it would seem an ideal time to consider implementing additional loan funding for students,” she said.
