How will I be assessed for funding eligibility?

Independent students

If you are an independent student, the provisional award is calculated on the estimated annual gross income of you and your spouse (if applicable) based on the current financial year in which the course commences.

Dependent students

Funding for dependent students is generally based on annual gross parental income of the year previous to the academic year, as certified by the Income Tax office. 

For information on whether you are classified an independent or dependent student, see the eligibility page of this website.

Who is eligible for funding?

What is undergraduate study funding made up of?

Maintenance

The States of Jersey has capped the maintenance award at £5,300 for a standard course for the 2012 / 13 academic year. The award is to help towards your living expenses, including accommodation, travel, food and books. Additional sums are allowed for periods in excess of the standard academic year.

Tuition fees 

Students starting higher education courses in 2012 / 13 will be charged at the same rate as fees for English students.  Most institutes are charging £9000 for most courses.  However, there are some exceptions therefore please contact the institute directly for information on their tuition fee charges.

Tuition fees for ongoing students

Tuition fees for students going into their second or later year of study in 2012/13:

	UK tuition fees for ongoing students (pre 2012)	2012 / 13
Band A	clinical years for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science	£22,750
Band B	science and engineering courses and non-clinical years of medicine	£10,232
Band C	studio and workshop-based courses eg IT, art and design, health	£8,055
Band D	classroom-based courses eg humanities, social studies	£6,423

   
Please note that all students studying off-Island will have to contribute £1,500 towards their tuition fees for the 2012 /13 academic year. This is in addition to the parental contribution.

Tuition fees for ongoing students at Highlands College	Subject	2012 / 13
Band 1	IT for Business full-time degree	£6,494
Band 2	Social Science, Childhood Studies, Financial Services and Business Management full-time degrees	£4,863
Band 3	Art and Design part-time degree	£3,247

   
Additional payments may be made to enable you to attend extra compulsory term time and vacation courses required by your institute. Please contact student finance for further details.

The maximum parental contribution towards tuition fees, per student, for the 2012 / 13 academic year is £9000. This is in addition to the student contribution of £1,500, therefore fees in excess of £10,500 will be paid by the States of Jersey.

The following examples have been calculated using the tuition fee of £9,000. When the student’s contribution of £1,500 has been deducted, the tuition fee is £7,500.

The award is calculated using the following: (gross income from previous year minus £26,750) x 20.25%.

Example 1: gross income of £26,750

Calculation: (gross income of £26,750 minus £26,750) x 20.25% = £0

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £0 = £5,300

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £0 = £7,500
 

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund	£5,300	£7,500

Example 2: gross income of £46,750

Calculation: (gross income of £46,750 minus £26,750) x 20.25% = £4,050

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £4,050 = £1,250

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £0 = £7,500
 

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund	£1,250	£7,500

Example 3: gross income of £66,750

Calculation: (gross income of £66,750 minus £26,750) x 20.25% = £8,100

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £8,100 = -£2,800

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £2,800 = £4,700
 

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund	£0	£4,700

Example 4: gross income of £88,960

Calculation: (gross income of £88,960 minus £26,750) x 20.25% = £12,800

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £12,800 = -£7,500

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £7,500 = £0

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund	£0	£0

  
There would be no contribution from the States of Jersey as the calculation is equal to the £5,300 award towards living expenses and tuition fees of £7,500.

Parents with more than 1 student at college / university at the same time

Where the assessed parental contribution is less than £1,000 for the first student, the contribution will increase by the same amount for each subsequent student.

Example 1: gross income of £26,750

Calculation: (gross income of £26,750 minus £26,750) x 20.25% = £0 = £0 per student

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £0 = £5,300

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £0 = £7,500

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund (per student)	£5,300	£7,500

Example 2: gross income of £31,000

Calculation: (gross income of £31,000 minus £26,750) x 20.25% =  £860 = £860 per student

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £860 = £4,440

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £0 = £7,500

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund (per student)	£4,440	£7,500

Where the assessed parental contribution is £1,000 or more

Parents will pay a minimum of £1,000 for each additional student studying at an institute at the same time.  This is in addition to the assessed parental contribution for the first student, not the maximum parental contribution.

Example 1: gross income of £46,750

Calculation: (gross income of £46,750 minus £26,750) x 20.25% = £4050 + £1,000 for 2nd student = £5,050 = £2,525 per student

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £2,525 = £2,775

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £0 = £7,500

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund (per student)	£2,775	£7,500

Example 2: gross income of £89,960

Calculation: (gross income of £89,960 minus £26,750) x 20.25%= £12,800 + £1,000 for 2nd student = £13,800 = £6,900 per student

Towards living expenses: £5,300 minus £6,900 = -£1,600

Towards tuition fees: £7,500 minus £1,600 = £5,900

	Towards living expenses	Towards tuition fees
States of Jersey will fund (per student)	£0	£5,900

Unless you are awarded independent status your parents are, in principle, liable to make a contribution. The States of Jersey requests parents to give details of all their gross income for the previous year and will then calculate the level of support the States of Jersey will provide.

The parental contribution is a very important part of your student award and failure by parents to contribute towards the cost of higher education will inevitably result in hardship as there is no supplementary assistance available from any other source.

The maximum parental contribution

Parents who are maximum contributors are responsible for the student's living expenses and will pay a contribution towards the tuition fees direct to the institute. The States of Jersey will pay fees in excess of the parental and student contributions direct to the institute.

The maximum parental contribution towards tuition fees, per student, for the 2012 / 13 academic year is £9,000. This is in addition to the student contribution of £1,500, therefore fees in excess of £10,500 will be paid by the States of Jersey.

Parents who prefer not to complete an Income Statement Form will be treated as maximum parental contributors.

Parents whose joint net capital assets, excluding their main residence (eg other properties, stocks, shares, bonds, good will of a business, tangible / moveable assets) exceed £750,000 subject to an annual review, will be treated as maximum parental contributors.

Which parent's income will be considered?

Parental contributions are required from your actual or legally adoptive parents. Step-parents are invited to provide details of income for the purpose of assessing the States of Jersey contribution to costs based on total income.

Where your parents are not living together, the States of Jersey will ask for relevant documentation to assess your award on the income it considers appropriate. 

What income and assets are used to determine funding?

For the purpose of the award, gross income is considered to be income from all sources as used for income tax purposes, except that gross amounts are used in the case of income on which tax has already been paid. Income under a trust arrangement is also counted as parental income.

If your parent(s) owns 10% or more of the shares in either a public or private company, or have a beneficial ownership or holding in a business or they are a beneficiary of a trust, the States of Jersey will request a copy of the certified accounts or such other details that may be necessary to assess the award. Business profits are included in the assessment.

As a general principle, the States of Jersey will not make awards on purely an income basis if your parents’ capital assets and general financial position are considered adequate to meet the expenses involved.

Exceptional circumstances

In exceptional circumstances such as where a parent dies, becomes seriously ill and is unable to work, or has been made redundant through compulsory redundancy, the States of Jersey has discretion to take income for the current year into account if the income has been reduced by 20% or more. Exceptional circumstances do not include retirement or the decision to give up paid employment.

How the award will be paid

You, your parents and your university / college will be sent a notification letter as soon as your assessment has been completed.  This notification will advise you of the amount awarded to you for living expenses, the States of Jersey contribution towards tuition fees and you and your parents contribution towards tuition fees.

You should take your notification letter with you to university as you may be required to present it on enrolment.

Maintenance award grant cheques are sent to the university / college for collection at the beginning of each term.

If your tuition fees are due to be paid by the States of Jersey, these will be paid directly to the institute on receipt of an invoice from them. If you / your parents are responsible for part or full payment of fees you should contact the institute regarding payment.

Scottish universities

Degree courses at Scottish universities are typically a year longer than at English and Welsh universities. Funding for courses undertaken at Scottish universities will be restricted to the equivalent level of funding for a similar course at an English university.