STUDENT loans seem unavoidable. A consultation document has been sent to a representative sample of 2,000 islanders to assess public opinion on higher education funding.

Deputy minister Wendy Morgan said yesterday that the higher education working party was keen to hear people’s ideas.

‘It is so important because we need to have a balanced view of the population. We need to know their feelings,’ she said.

‘Everybody keeps referring to it as student loans, which is not necessarily going to be the case, but in all honesty I can’t think of another option.’

The consultation period deadline is 5 March and Deputy Morgan urged islanders to have their say and return the document.

‘It is very important that the people who receive their copies by post take the time to fill them in and return them to the Education Department.

‘We have received requests from many organisations who are directly involved with education but we are very eager to have as many of those sample documents returned as possible.’

She said it was essential that everyone who wanted to go to university be given the opportunity to do so.

‘There is a problem at the moment with lower middle-income families that are being hit financially and I do not think it would be fair to deprive them.

‘The higher education working party has acknowledged that student loans apply nearly everywhere else around the world. But if the consultation document brings out an alternative, we would welcome it with open arms.’

Andy Lamb, whose children will be going to university in the next couple of years, said young people were being driven away from the island.

‘I’m worried about the funding. If it changes in 2009, it has to encourage students to come back to Guernsey,’ said the 45-year-old self-employed builder.

‘I don’t want to think of our children not being able to afford to come back after university. It breaks up families. Our kids don’t think they will be able to buy a house over here and not every parent can afford to buy one for them.

‘I just don’t have any confidence in this government at the moment to do the right thing.’