The Manx government will not commit to meeting the new UK university costs until a full review is carried out.
Daphne Caine told Tynwald a rise in UK tuition fees would cost an extra £213,750. However, Tynwald members have questioned that given the drop in the number of students going to uni off-island in recent years.
Mrs Caine was asked what impact the increase in England’s tuition fees will have on her department’s budget.
Currently students pay £9,250 a year, which will rise to £9,535, with Manx students paying £2,500 a year back by way of a loan from the government.
Mrs Caine, who noted her department is reviewing the regulations around tuition fees, said: “Within the review of the regulations, the full implications of and the options for addressing the increasing tuition fees are currently being considered ahead of their introduction from the 2025/26 academic year.”
When asked by David Ashford (Douglas North) whether there is a scenario where students may have to pay the increase in fees themselves, Mrs Caine replied: “I could just say the options are being considered, the full extent of the financial implications needs exploring before a commitment is made.”
Budget
In the 2023/24 academic year, 958 students had their fees paid, with about 750 at universities in the UK, with the rest studying at UCM.
However, Lib Vannin leader Lawrie Hooper disputed the increase in costs, noting that the DESC department plans showed that in 2019 the DESC spent £6.9m on student fees, down to £6.5m this year.
He said: “It is evident the budget exists and is available for this because the student awards budget itself was £500,000 more at the start of this administration than it currently is today.”
Mrs Caine said the review would take into account the cost implications of the announced rise, and “how that is shared, or otherwise, between the department’s contribution in terms of the Student Award and the student contribution”.
She added that she expects her department to complete its review by early next year to allow for the regulations to be in place by the next academic year.
Mrs Caine added that she also awaits the Public Accounts Committee’s review of the student awards system that is due back soon.
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