Student Grants

[Firefly]

Can anyone shed any light as to whether the IOM Govt will be bringing in a policy of contibution to tuition fees? I am worried that my children may not be able to go to University because we can't afford to send them!!

[Game on]

Can anyone shed any light as to whether the IOM Govt will be bringing in a policy of contibution to tuition fees? I am worried that my children may not be able to go to University because we can't afford to send them!!

 

Tuition fees plus a means tested maintainance grant are available at the moment. Contact the Student Grants section at the Dept of Education - 685790

[Snaipyr]

Can anyone shed any light as to whether the IOM Govt will be bringing in a policy of contibution to tuition fees? I am worried that my children may not be able to go to University because we can't afford to send them!!

 

Depends on how long you've lived here I think

[BigDave]

When the argument over top-up fees blew up in the UK at the time the Manx Govt said they would not be introducing top-up fees for Manx students. If this remains the policy (and I'm sure the press would have picked up on it otherwise) then the course fees would still be paid 100% regardless of circumstances. Any maintenance grant (ie beer money!) is means tested.

 

Department of Education - Student Grants

[ian rush]

I thought the Island's students qualified as 'overseas' and that we/they already paid more than their English colleagues. Another £3k on top of that would seem harsh.

[Tonto]

I heard skeet a couple of weeks ago (off-island) that the tuition grants for IOM students will be a casualty of the MEA fiasco from next year. I expect that will be the big excuse for any cuts over the coming years.

 

I am not saying I believe it, but I can see someone in Treasury trying to cut costs. I think it will cause a tremendous outcry - however, if I still had children wanting to go to Uni, I think I might actually either ask my MHK to find out for me, or write direct to the Dept of Ed (and copy in my MHK) and get a written response - that way it makes it much more difficult for them to say no to you in the future. And will embarass the hell out of them if they back track.

 

You know the scenario, after an election, for example, when they're all safely tucked in for another 5 years and can ignore the voters with impunity again.

 

I know I shouldn't listen to skeet

[sarahc]

I got sent a survey over a year ago by the DOE. One of the questions was whether I would have gone to uni if the Gov hadn't paid my fees. I suspected then that tuition fees would come in. I wouldn't call it a casualty of the MEA stuff.

[Lonan3]

I think we're wasting a rare opportunity to actually boast about how much better we do something here compared with our neighbouring country. The Manx government give their university students a grant - not a loan - and pay for their tuition fees. The grant is, quite rightly, means tested and it enables those from a less well off background to gain a full education.

I know that the previous education minister was totally opposed to loans and to changes in the system of paying the tuition fees, but no one can be certain about the future.

My only quibble is about hard earned taxes too often being used to support nonsensical degree studies in worthless subjects at second-rate (or even third-rate) universities - but that's probably a very different thread altogether.

[VinnieK]

I thought the Island's students qualified as 'overseas' and that we/they already paid more than their English colleagues. Another £3k on top of that would seem harsh.

 

We're not quite classed as overseas. Manx students typically pay fees shy of about £1000 the full cost of their education (i.e. the overseas rate). A degree in maths at a good university costs around £8000 a year for a Manx student, whereas overseas students pay about £9000 for the same degree, and UK/EU students pay only £1,200 a year.

 

For tuition fees to have an affect on Manx students would be counterproductive for the universities, since their main purpose is to close the gap between teaching income and expenditure, which is at its greatest for home and EU students, and lessen the need to spend research grants on teaching instead of facilities. As such the Universities could only raise the rate for Manx students by a relatively small amount before being guilty of overcharging.

 

I could see a case being made by the Manx Government for perhaps only paying part of the overall fees, leaving the rest up to the individual student. But something tells me that this would be complicated, since Manx students aren't elligible for UK student loans, meaning that the Government would have to set up its own loan system to cater for them.

 

I think we're wasting a rare opportunity to actually boast about how much better we do something here compared with our neighbouring country. The Manx government give their university students a grant - not a loan

 

I don't think that this is entirely fair, since it must be remembered that:

 

a. UK students are already heavily subsidised to the tune of £5000 - £10,000 a year (depending on what subject they do), which, in effect is a non-repayable grant, and some get their entire fees paid for them by their LEA. Although this doesn't take into account living expenses, the Manx government only provide maintenance grants for those who can prove they need them (based on savings and parental income).

 

b. The Manx government doesn't have to fund research departments of those universities, the UK does have this added responsibility.

 

c. I haven't got any figures, but I'm willing to bet that a higher proportion of UK students go on to university compared with those in the Isle of Man

 

d. The UK has greater budgetry committments in addition to spending on Education than the Isle of Man does. The most obvious is maintaining Military, Scientific, and Intelligence institutions, but I'd hazard that the cost of, say, policing in the UK is greater in proportions than it is for the Isle of Man, if only because of a greater number of dense urban areas.

 

It's unlikely that we 'do' things better in the Isle of Man, but rather that we're simply lucky enough to be in a position to do things that the UK cannot.

[sirdick]

I think we're wasting a rare opportunity to actually boast about how much better we do something here compared with our neighbouring country. The Manx government give their university students a grant - not a loan - and pay for their tuition fees. The grant is, quite rightly, means tested and it enables those from a less well off background to gain a full education.

I know that the previous education minister was totally opposed to loans and to changes in the system of paying the tuition fees, but no one can be certain about the future.

 

As someone who received a grant last year I can say they are very welcome! A lot of people I know have had their tuition fees paid for but the maintainance is a little trickier to come by. It was only in my last year I received maintainance, it was a struggle otherwise.

 

My only quibble is about hard earned taxes too often being used to support nonsensical degree studies in worthless subjects at second-rate (or even third-rate) universities - but that's probably a very different thread altogether.

 

What concerns me is there doesn't seem to be any difference between people who go away to Uni and never return and those who stay to work over here (like me). I studied over here and have tried getting a job without any luck. The Gov always seem to be pushing for people to remain here and help the Manx economy yet they willingly give Uni-goers with no intention of returning the same thing they give to the ones staying... who could probably do with a bit more assistance (not financial, just advice or job searching).

 

PS. I like the new 'add post' page

[Static]

I heard skeet a couple of weeks ago (off-island) that the tuition grants for IOM students will be a casualty of the MEA fiasco from next year. I expect that will be the big excuse for any cuts over the coming years.

I

 

This has already started.....the son of a friend of mine has just started his second year at Aberdeen. Last year his full grant was £44??, this year it is £4195. A drop of approximately 5%.

[VinnieK]

What concerns me is there doesn't seem to be any difference between people who go away to Uni and never return and those who stay to work over here (like me). I studied over here and have tried getting a job without any luck. The Gov always seem to be pushing for people to remain here and help the Manx economy yet they willingly give Uni-goers with no intention of returning the same thing they give to the ones staying... who could probably do with a bit more assistance (not financial, just advice or job searching).

 

PS. I like the new 'add post' page

 

With every year's uni finance forms I always received something from the manx government asking if I'd like to have my details released to potential employers on the Isle of Man, which seemed fairly helpful of them.

 

There are graduate job searches out there (i.e. www.prospects.ac.uk) that Manx employers could register themselves with, there's not much the government can do if they choose not to, or if the jobs that specifically require a university education aren't there in great numbers in the first place.

[Educa]

Am I right in my understanding.

 

(1) 100% Tuitition Fees are funded by IOM Gov - for everybody.

 

(2) Maintenance Grants are available - means tested -

[sirdick]

I believe so. Not sure on the 100% but from my experience (ie knowing a vast number of students) it seems that way.

[VinnieK]

Am I right in my understanding.

 

(1) 100% Tuitition Fees are funded by IOM Gov - for everybody.

 

(2) Maintenance Grants are available - means tested -

 

Yeah, that's the case. Maintenance grants are means tested and set on a sliding scale, with the amount of the grant being dependent upon the results of the means test.