Repayment of student grants (FOI)

​Request

Student Finance / Grant

Who is responsible to repay the funding (all or part) if am 18+ yo Student drops out of a University Degree Course without a valid reason (i.e. simply "didn't like it" rather than got hit by a bus etc). Is it the Student only, the Parents (in the Student's household who provided the income declaration) or both?

The reason for asking is, per the EDUCATION (GRANTS AND ALLOWANCES) (JERSEY) ORDER 2018 (Article 31) only a Student over 18 is required to give an undertaking to repay, however the online Grant Application form sign off page includes a compulsory undertaking to repay by the Parents but is given by the Student who completes and submits the application alone.

The Guide to Student Finance does not specify.

Response

If a student is over 18 the liability to repay lies with them to refund any due amounts. If the student is under 18 the liability rests with the parents.

Here are the relevant articles from the Education (Grants and Allowances) (Jersey) Order 2018:
Education (Grants and Allowances) (Jersey) Order 2018

29      Withdrawal of grant or allowance in cases of failure etc.

If, at any time after a grant has been awarded or an allowance has been paid to a student in respect of a course –
(a)     the student abandons the course;
(b)     the student fails all or any part of the course; or
(c)     the institution running the course refuses to allow the student to complete it,
that grant or allowance shall be withdrawn or stopped and the grant or allowance shall be repayable under the terms of the undertaking given under Article 21.

30      Payment of grant or allowance

A grant or an allowance in respect of a course may be the subject of any of the following –
(a)     payment in instalments;
(b)     provisional payment pending determination of the amount payable to the student for an academic year;
(c)     payment to the institution running the course.

31      Undertaking to repay grant or allowance

(1)     An award of a grant or the payment of an allowance in respect of a course shall not be made until the student or, where the student is under the age of 18, one of the student’s parents, gives a written undertaking –
(a)     to repay any overpayment of the grant or allowance; and
(b)     to repay the whole or any part of the grant or allowance if it is withdrawn or stopped under Article 19; or
(c)     to repay, if required, the whole or any part of the grant or allowance if it is –
(i)      withdrawn or stopped under Article 18(8)(c), or
(ii)      withdrawn under Article 23.
(2)     An undertaking to repay a grant or allowance may be waived if sufficient evidence of the student’s ill health or other extenuating circumstances is provided.
(3)     An undertaking given in respect of a grant or allowance before 1st January 2017, shall continue to have effect as if the Education (Discretionary Grants  – General) (Amendment No. 5) (Jersey) Order 2016 had not been enacted.