OPEN University fees will almost triple for Jersey students from August 2007.

Students will have to pay up to £1,840 per course studied, and Education say they are unlikely to be able to provide any additional funding.

In a letter from the regional director of The Open University in the south, Celia Cohen, Jersey’s 500 students were told that the fee increase will be on courses starting on or after 1 August 2007.

She said today that the increases for Channel Islands and Isle of Man students were ‘very much regretted’ but were necessary in order for The Open University to comply with funding conditions imposed by the UK government on all publicly funded UK universities.

‘Essentially, UK students pay lower-than-cost fees because UK universities receive a substantial grant from the UK government,’ she said.

‘UK residents have contributed to this grant as taxpayers.

Non-UK residents who are not UK taxpayers cannot reasonably expect to benefit from this reduced fee, and so are required to pay the full cost of their studies through the course fees.’