Ms Julie Tonge:

Yes. I outlined the challenges some of these students have when they enter college. It is not a level playing field and some of those students fall behind, and it is difficult to catch up especially now in the trimesterised systems. If a student is not on top of things in the sixth week of a 12-week trimester, it will be very difficult to catch up. As a result, students get burnt out and stressed and stop engaging, and then they engage with us when they have failed a number of modules. They then come back to college in the following trimester carrying repeat modules and they still might not have developed the skills they need. It is pressure on pressure. We do not want students to have to repeat the year and have all the financial worries, with their family concerned about the financial element of it. Certainly, there should be additional supports within SUSI for that.