Student loans on the way?

Saturday 17th December 2005, 12:00AM GMT.

STUDENT loans could be introduced to cover the £600,000 cost of university top-up fees.

From September next year, new university students will each cost the Island an extra £1,350 a year.

Existing students will not be affected, but the current annual intake of around 450 undergraduates means Jersey will have to pay out an extra £600,000.

Education Minister Mike Vibert says the £9m the States invest in higher education grants every year may now have to be boosted by a voluntary student loan system so that students could take out loans if they want them.

He says the department cannot afford to bear the extra cost, and that parents could have to pick up the bill or leave it for students to pay off through a voluntary loan system.

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