University student funding (FOI)

​Request  

From July 2013 when calculating the level of university funding for students with separated/divorced parents, the Education Department took into account the income of a new partner who lived with the divorced/separated parent of the student.

Previously funding only took into account the income of the parent who the student primarily lived with.

Please could you provide me with the following information:

A
How much money did the change save the Education Department for the 5 months of 2013, and for each year of 2014 and 2015?

B
How many students received funding which was calculated in part according to the income of their parent's new partner, broken down for each of the following years: 2013, 2014 and 2015?

C
How many students were awarded some level of grant by the States, broken down annually for each of the following years: 2013, 2014 and 2015?

D
How many students from Jersey have attended university outside of Jersey, broken down annually for each year since 2010?

E
How much money was spent in total by the States of Jersey on university funding, broken down annually for 2013, 2014 and 2015?

Response

A
The total spend by the States of Jersey on university funding is outlined below (section E). It is impossible to determine whether the change to application criteria contributed to changes in budget allocation, therefore the information is not held.

The total amount of money spent on university funding fluctuates each year. 

These fluctuations are attributed to:

• the numbers of students applying and going to university
• the courses that are applied for
• the number of specialist degrees being undertaken, such as medicine or dance.

B
Student Finance recently implemented a new system, and the figures below only relate to the students that are on this new system. The figures below, therefore, are not all current students for 2015 / 16.

We are unable to provide figures for 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015 as the information was collected prior to the implementation of the new system. 

It is held in the individual student files of applicants and the Education Department has determined that the gathering of this data would be over the cost limit of 12.5 hours outlined in the Freedom of Information law.

C

D

E

*Figures rounded to the nearest pound (£)

**The academic year 2015 to 2016 is not yet complete. Therefore, the total cost of all educational grants paid by the States of Jersey is likely to change.

These changes occur if students withdraw from or fail their course, if fees are changed or the students’ actual income changes their entitlement. There also may be some students who have registered but who decide not to attend.