University fees

Summary

The request sought data on outstanding student loan debt, repayment rates, and student award costs for Manx university students since 2014. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed detailed loan statistics and award costs, while directing the requester to a public report for historical award numbers.

Key Facts

• As of 31 March 2020, the total outstanding loan value for all students was £9,602,843 across 1,789 loans.
• 296 students have fully repaid their tuition fee loans, representing 14.2% of all loans advanced.
• 471 students whose repayment due date has been reached have made no repayments as of 31 March 2020.
• The total cost of student awards (maintenance grants and tuition fees) for the 2019-20 financial year was £8,846,012.
• The department tracks repayment eligibility by issuing annual loan statements accompanied by income declarations.

Data Disclosed

• £9,602,843
• 1,789
• 296
• 471
• 32.5%
• 14.2%
• £8,846,012
• 1278
• 31 March 2020
• £25,000

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Act (information already reasonably accessible)

Original Request

What is the total amount of outstanding debt owed to the department by Manx students who have attended university since 2014. How many student awards have been granted and what is the total amount this has cost? How many students have paid back the full amount of money loaned to them by the government for their university fees? How many students have paid back none of the money loaned to them by the government for their university fees? How does the department keep track of which students have returned to work in the island and have reached the threshold to pay back the loan? Does the department have any powers to enforce repayment of the loan if Manx students no longer live and/or work in the Isle of Man?

Data Tables (4)

Full Response Text

Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 1293447 17 June 2020

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 18 May 2020 and which states:

"What is the total amount of outstanding debt owed to the department by Manx students who have attended university since 2014. How many student awards have been granted and what is the total amount this has cost? How many students have paid back the full amount of money loaned to them by the government for their university fees? How many students have paid back none of the money loaned to them by the government for their university fees? How does the department keep track of which students have returned to work in the island and have reached the threshold to pay back the loan? Does the department have any powers to enforce repayment of the loan if Manx students no longer live and/or work in the Isle of Man?" In order to identify and locate the information that you asked for, we needed to understand and clarify what the term outstanding debt in the first part of the request referred to. In addition to this we also needed to identify what time period the information was being requested for in the second, third and fourth part of the request. You advised: “The outstanding amount is in relation to money borrowed but not yet returned on the loans for tuition fees and for questions 2, 3 and 4, this is from the academic year commencing in September 2014.”

Our response to your request is as follows: Number and value of student loans The information provided is correct as of 31 March 2020

All Loans Number of Loans Value Loans Advanced 2,085 £11,133,680 Interest charged 700 £183,362 Loans Fully Repaid 296 (£1,520,020) Loans Repayment (instalments) 111 (£194,179) Outstanding Loans
1,789 £9,602,843 Graduates Only Number of Loans Value Loans Currently Due for Repayment 862 £4,744,279 Loans Fully Repaid 296 (£1,520,020) Loans Repayment (instalments) 95 (£23,296) Outstanding Loans (Graduates)
566 £3,200,963 % Total Loan Value Advanced - Repaid 15.4% % Loans Fully Repaid (296 Loans) 14.2% % Graduate Repayment Rate 32.5% % Graduates repaid/repaying 45.4% % Graduates not repaid or repaying 54.6% Number and cost of student awards The information provided for the number of student awards provided is based on an academic year and the information provided for the cost of student awards provided is based on a financial year. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. By way of advice and assistance some of the information that you have requested is available using the following web link which details the number of student awards provided up until the academic year 2017/18 on page 44: https://www.gov.im/media/1366013/isle-of-man-in-numbers-2019.pdf The number of student awards provided for the academic year 2019/2020 is 1278 students. The cost of student awards provided since the financial year 2014/15 is a follows: Financial Year 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Maintenance Grants 1,700,007 1,777,888 1,715,577 1,616,557 1,670,521 2,366,813 Tuition Fees 8,933,843 7,368,095 8,076,124 7,500,674 6,620,744 6,479,199 10,633,850 9,145,983 9,791,701 9,117,231 8,291,265 8,846,012

Number of loans repaid by students Of the students who requested a loan to cover their tuition fee contribution, 296 have repaid the full amount (as of 31 March 2020). Number of loans to be repaid by students Of the students whose loan repayment due date has been reached, 471 have made no repayments as of 31 March 2020. This figure includes those whose income level is below £25,000 and are not yet required to make any mandatory repayments towards their loan. Identifying students who are eligible to repay the loan A loan does not become due for repayment until the student graduates, therefore the repayment rate for Graduates is currently 32.5%. This figure will improve in the next few months when the minimum repayment has to be made prior to the 1st July.
Within the next few weeks all students will be reminded of the minimum repayment required. The Department issues two loan statements per year. For those whose loan repayment due date has been activated, one statement is accompanied by an income declaration for completion and return. Contact details can be checked from this and it can be used to ascertain the level of mandatory repayment of the loan required in the next year. No mandatory repayment is due where income is below £25,000. Under the terms of the loan agreement made by the Department and signed by the student (paragraph 9), they agree to notify the Department of any address change, to forward an annual declaration of income and to inform the Department when they have exceeded the earnings threshold (£25,000) where mandatory repayments would become due. Enforcing repayment The Department is encouraged by repayment rates. The loan scheme is still at a relatively early stage, more than half of the loans advanced are not yet repayable. Should a student not return to the Island the loan agreement permits the debt to be registered with credit reference agencies, however, at this relatively early stage, this has not yet been necessary. Please quote the reference number 1293447 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Coordinator