What education grant reforms mean for Manx students

Manx students who study at universities in the UK, abroad or on some on-island higher education courses will now benefit from extra cash to fund their education.

The move comes after Tynwald approved new measures on Tuesday to help students tackle the cost of university, amidst what education minister Daphne Caine MHK said was the "rising cost of living".

She confirmed ten changes to existing legislation, namely that families earning up to £90,000 can now apply for maintenance grants, with full grant limits rising to £30,388 too.

The changes, which will take effect in September, will also see the removal of the recognition of multiple children in maintenance means-testing.

Maintenance grants for those studying in the UK will rise by £400 to £8,500, the figure rising to £9,000 for those based in London or overseas, as part of changes to the Education (Student Awards) Regulations 2025.

Cash donated to students from a registered charity or trust will be excluded when calculating the overall income a person is eligible for.

The move is aimed at preventing students, especially those from "lower, middle-income families", from losing maintenance grants after receiving additional financial support, the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) confirmed.

Caine said the changes were focused on "investing in our island's young people and ensuring financial barriers do not stand in the way of ambition".

Lawrie Hooper MHK opposed the move and said it would mean "giving means-tested money away to the wealthiest people on the island".

He said this was due to the exclusion of any cash from trust funds or charities in the calculation of the level of grant a student is eligible for.

Under the changes, remote learners will enjoy the same income limits as full-time students, with tuition fee grant limits rising from £46,500 to £112,000.

Undergraduate Disability Allowance will rise to £2,600, as will non-medical helper allowance to £19,760 per academic year.

The grant towards tuition fees will drop by £750 to £6,000 but students can borrow up to £3,535 to plug the gap.

Paul Craine MLC said the policy "supports the bulk of our students" at a time when tuition fees for universities in England are set to rise annually, in line with inflation from 2026 onwards.

Kirsty Morphet MLC raised concerns that those on vocational courses will not be able to benefit from these reforms, as per the definition of a higher education course in the legislation.

She said means-testing fails to account for additional costs such as domestic or respite care.

"A parent should not have to decide between paying for the care of one family member and the education of another", she added.

These reforms to the Student Awards will be absorbed by the department's current budget, DESC confirmed.

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