Post Graduate Study Financial Support

Summary

The requester asked for statistics on postgraduate students with 2.2 or lower undergraduate degrees receiving tuition fee support since 2020. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture withheld the specific data because the number of individuals is less than five, making them identifiable.

Key Facts

• The request covered postgraduate financial support for tuition fees excluding student loans.
• The data was requested for individuals with an undergraduate degree classification of 2.2 or lower.
• The time period specified was from 2020 onwards.
• The number of individuals matching the criteria is less than five.
• Disclosure was refused to prevent the identification of these individuals.

Data Disclosed

• 2020
• 2.2
• less than five
• 2025-12-18
• 2026-01-19
• 5181521

Exemptions Cited

• s25(b)(i)&(ii) – Absolutely exempt personal information
• Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018 Article 5
• Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018 Article 6

Original Request

Please provide the number of individuals and the subjects studied at post graduate level who have received financial support for tuition fees (Excluding student loan), but whose undergraduate degree classification was a 2.2 or lower, since 2020.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Policy, Strategy and Governance Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 5181521 19 January 2026

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 18 December 2025, which states:

"Please provide the number of individuals and the subjects studied at post graduate level who have received financial support for tuition fees (Excluding student loan), but whose undergraduate degree classification was a 2.2 or lower, since 2020."

Our response to your request is as follows: As the number of individuals is less than five, it has been determined that these individuals may be identifiable and, as such, the below exemption will apply.

s25(b)(i)&(ii) – Absolutely exempt personal information
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information included within the enclosed information because it is absolutely exempt under section 25 of the Act (absolutely exempt personal information). The reasons why that exemption applies are that:
• The Department of Education, Sport and Culture is satisfied that the information amounts to personal data of which you are not the data subject; and;
• The Department of Education, Sport and Culture is satisfied that disclosure of the information would contravene one of the data protection principles as set out at Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation as it applies in the Isle of Man pursuant to the Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018, namely that the Department of Education, Sport and Culture can only disclose the information where it would be fair, lawful and meet one of the conditions for lawful processing in Article 6 and in this case, none of those conditions have been met.

Please quote the reference number 5181521 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.