Student pay awards reviewed amid tuition fee rise

Pay awards for students from the Isle of Man will be subject to a review as university tuition fees are set to go up, the minister for education, sports and culture has said.

It follows the Autumn Statement announcement in the UK last month that university tuition fees would increase to £9,535 next year.

Daphne Caine, Minister for Education, Sports and Culture said the conclusion of the review of student pay awards is set to be presented to the Manx parliament in March.

Ms Caine told members that if her department provided for the increase in tuition fees, it would cost the government an additional £213,750.

In the 2023/24 academic year, there were 958 students who received pay awards, of which about 750 were at universities in the UK, with the remainder at University College Isle of Man (UCM).

While amendments to student pay awards had been introduced in 2021 and 2023 to mitigate the impacts of inflation, the overall review would also consider the cost of living, residency criteria, and the make up of awards for part time and distance learners, she said.

Referencing figures outlined in the Department for Education, Sports and Culture (DESC) plan, MHK Lawrie Hooper, said that in 2019 the Department spent £6.9m on student pay wards, while this year it was spending £6.5m.

He asked whether the department would provide for the increased tuition fees in the pay awards adding, "the budget quite clearly exists".

Ms Cain said the department needed to take into account the cost implications of the rise, along with the other matters being considered, to determine how and if it was shared between the department's contributions and the student contributions.

Changes would be in place for September 2025, she added.

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