Student Financial Support.

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A decision made (18/12/2006) regarding Student Financial Support.

Subject:	Student Financial Support
Decision Reference:	MD-ESC-2006-0069		Exempt clause(s):	N/A
Type of Report: (oral or written)	Written		Person Giving Report (if oral):	N/A
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	n/a		Report File ref:
Written report – Title	Student Finance – Report to the Council of Ministers
Written report – Author (name and job title)	David Greenwood Assistant Director Education, Sport and Culture
Decision(s): · Current employer involvement in bursary schemes to be surveyed. Options and recommendations on the desirability or otherwise of the introduction of an education and training levy to be developed during 2007. · Research to be undertaken to determine an appropriate adjustment to the level at which capital assets should be taken account of in determining family income for grant making purposes. · General arrangements for support of families with more than one child in higher education to be maintained during 2007 pending further consideration of this matter. · Proposals on the fairest means of determining parental responsibility for contribution towards higher education costs in cases where parents have divorced or separated to be considered when a more detailed review and consultation with the Law Officers has been completed. · The issue of the tax allowances for families attending higher education to be raised with the Minister for Treasury and Resources in 2007. · Current arrangements, within the new scheme of student financial support for students following postgraduate diplomas essential to professional entry (e.g. PGCE teaching qualifications) to be maintained. · Establish, with effect from September 2007, a single scheme of competitive bursaries for students who have achieved a minimum of a 2(i) classification in their undergraduate studies who seek to continue to postgraduate level. · Financial support for conversion courses to be terminated with effect from 2009. All students entering higher education in September 2007 to be advised that funding for this route will no longer be available to them.
· Arrangements for art foundation to be reviewed during 2007 with a view to building capacity within the Island to meet all demand for art foundation courses locally with effect from September 2008. · Current restrictions on students wishing to attend non UK institutions to be lifted (subject to conditions on cost, quality and currency, to be detailed in States Orders) with effect from September 2007. · Financial support for students following vocationally relevant courses leading to first degree via the Open University to be maintained within the general arrangements for student grants with effect from September 2007. · Funding for eligible students who seek entry to Scottish universities offering four year courses when similar courses of three year duration are available elsewhere to be restricted to the equivalent of three years, spread over four, with effect from September 2008.
Reason(s) for decision: These were the ‘minor’ recommendations contained within the report on student finance presented to, and approved by, the Council of Ministers on 16/11/06.
Action required: Students to be advised of the above decisions immediately. Wider public to be informed via public document issued in the form of a report in the ‘R’ series to be published in December 2006 by the States Greffe, advising on Minister’s proposals for a new scheme of student finance.
Signature: (Minister/ Assistant Minister)		Date of Decision: 18 December 2006