Student Grant Orders

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A decision made 5 July 2010 regarding: Student Grant Orders - Amendment.

Decision Reference: MD-ESC-2010-0011
Decision Summary Title):	Recommendations on Changes and Amendments to the Education (Discretionary Grants – Amounts) (Jersey) Order 2009 to take effect from September 2010		Date of Decision Summary:	29.6.10
Decision Summary Author:	David Greenwood Assistant Director Lifelong Learning		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Recommendations on Changes and Amendments to the Education (Discretionary Grants – Amounts) (Jersey) Order 2009 to take effect from September 2010		Date of Written Report:	08.06.10
Written Report Author:	Andrew Gibbs Head of Careers & Work Related Learning		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Changes to Student Grants Orders with effect from September 2010
Decision(s): The Minister agreed that the Law Draftsman should be requested to amend the Student Grants Orders 2009 to take account of his wishes as detailed in appendix 2 of the report mentioned above (Education (Discretionary Grants – Amounts) (Jersey) Order 2009)
Reason(s) for Decision: The Education (Jersey) Law 1999 empowers the Minister ‘by order’ to make grants for students following programmes of higher education. The Orders describe the amount of States support available, the terms and conditions under which it is available and the criteria which students and their families must meet to be eligible. Costs of tuition change annually and administrative arrangements are often modified in light of experience gained. The amended Orders are usually laid before the States in September each year.
Resource Implications: A small amount of law drafting time
Action required: Request the Law Draftsman to prepare the necessary amendment to the Order (on the basis of a brief to be prepared by the Department) for subsequent consideration by the Minister.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Education, Sport and Culture
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Student Grant Orders - Amendment

Education, Sport and Culture Department Report
Subject:	Recommendations on Changes and Amendments to the Education (Discretionary Grants – Amounts) (Jersey) Order 2009 to take effect from September 2010
Exempt Clause:	Public	Date:	8th June 2010

Author:	Andrew Gibbs : Head of Careers & Work Related Learning

1. Background

Amendments Schedule

Education (Discretionary Grants – Amounts) (Jersey) Order 2009

Para 2 (1) Amend amounts in the table to read £5100; £5572; £6201; £8178; £7077 respectively

Para 3 Amend amount to read £1487

Para 4 (4) Intention will be that where a parent contributes less than £1000 for the first student, the contribution will increase by the same amount for each subsequent student. Where a parent contributes £1000 or more for the first student the existing calculation will apply. Suggestion is to add in:-

After “… the same academic year” insert “and where C < £1000 then the final contribution in respect of any one such student from the family will be equal to C. Where C > £1000 then…”

Para 4 (5) (a) Amend amount to read £14142

Para 7 (a) Amend amount to read £16.79

(b) Amend amount to read £20.62

Education (Discretionary Grants – General) (Jersey) Order 2009

Article 1 Interpretation

“relevant date” for an academic year means the official start date of the course

Article 3 Residence

Insert “ Where parents become ordinarily resident outside of the Island after the student has commenced their higher education course, the Department for Education Sport & Culture will continue any support given to the student for the duration of the course or for a maximum of 3 years whichever is the shorter”

Article 4 Relevant income of dependent student

Insert “ In the case where the parents are divorced or legally separated, and excepting the situation below, the relevant income will be the gross income of the parent who has care and control of that student. In the event that parents share care and control the gross income of both parents will be taken into account.

Where the parents are living together on January 1st prior to the commencement of the course, but cease to live together at a later date, the grant will be assessed by reference to the income of both parents until the end of the course.”

Article 16 Vacation Study Allowance

Change the heading of the article to “Supplementary payments”

Change to:

Para (1) “Compulsory Vacation Study:

(a) A student who has been awarded a student grant may be paid a vacation study allowance

(b) A vacation study allowance is payable to a student who is required by the institution at which he or she is a student to attend the institution or another institution outside term time

(c)The amount of the allowance shall not exceed the amount prescribed by the Grants Amounts Order for each day that the student does so attend

Para (2) Compulsory Field Trips:

(a) A student who has been awarded a student grant may be eligible for an allowance towards additional expenses incurred in attending such a trip.

(b) Prior to commencement of the study trip the student should obtain and complete the appropriate form from the Student Finance Office”

Article 17 Applications for grants and allowances

Para (3) Add in a new (c) – “Any other documentation that the Department for Education Sport & Culture considers relevant to the application for support” Re-number (c) as (d).

Add in a new para (5) and re-number – “Any false or misleading information that is supplied will be classed as fraud. This will render the application void and could lead to prosecution. Should the Department for Education Sport & Culture feel that a fraudulent act has occurred they reserve the right to recover all support that has been provided to that date”

Add in a new para (9) – “Any contribution that the Department for Education Sport & Culture makes towards the costs of higher education is at the discretion of the Minister for Education Sport & Culture

2: Recommendations

The Minister is recommended to accept the changes and amendments to the Education (Discretionary Grants – Amounts) (Jersey) Order 2009, to take effect from September 2010

Instruct officers to liaise with the Law Draftsman to ensure his intentions are reflected in the amended Grants Order to be laid before the States in September 2010, to take effect from the commencement of the first