Low fees, quality teaching
The facts:
Our tuition fees are considerably less than those charged at most universities. This means that, all our full-time higher education students will have considerably less debt to pay back once you have completed your studies.
The College will be participating in The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) to benefit students entering higher education from Autumn 2012.
Full-time students who are studying for their first degree or other higher education course can benefit from a range of financial support* including:
No upfront costs
- You don’t have to pay upfront for your course yourself.
- You can get a loan to cover the cost of your tuition, which you only start to pay back when you are earning over £21,000.
Loans for living costs
- Available to help with living costs such as food, accommodation and travel.
- A loan of up to £5,500 will be available if you live away from home and study outside London. A loan of up to £4,375 will be available if you live with your parents.
Non-repayable grants
- Available to help with living costs such as food, accommodation and travel.
- If your household income is up to £25,000 you will be entitled to a full grant, of £3,250, which you won’t have to pay back.
- If your household income is between £25,000 and £42,600 you would be entitled to a grant of between £50 and £3,250, which you won’t have to pay back.
Look at the table below to find the kind of support on offer to students living away from home and studying outside London. Figures are based on household income.
| Household income | Package of support for 2012/13 |
||
Non-repayable grant |
Living cost loan |
Total |
|
| £25,000 or less | £7,125 | ||
| £30,000 | £3,250 | £3,875 | £6,671 |
| £35,000 | £2,341 | £4,330 | £6,216 |
| £40,000 | £1,432 | £4,784 | £5,762 |
| £45,000 | £523 | £5,239 | £5,288 |
| £50,000 | £0 | £5,288 | £4,788 |
| £55,000 | £0 | £4,788 | £4,288 |
| £60,000 | £0 | £3,788 | £3,788 |
| Over £62,500 | £0 | £3,575 | £3,575 |
How loan repayments are expected to work
You only start to pay back when you are earning over £21,000 a year. You repay 9% of your income above £21,000. So for example, if your salary was £25,000, the 9% would only apply to £4,000, meaning you would repay £30 per month.
The table below shows some salaries and typical repayments.
If your salary falls below £21,000 your repayments stop – for example if you take a career break or become unemployed. Repayments only start again when you earn over £21,000.
Loan repayments will be deducted from your salary, normally through the tax system.
If you have not repaid your loan after 30 years it is written off.
For further information about all aspects of student finance both full and part-time and how to apply for it, go to: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Salary |
Amount of salary from which 9% will be deducted |
Monthly repayment |
£25,000 |
£4,000 |
£30.00 |
£30,000 |
£9,000 |
£67.50 |
£35,000 |
£14,000 |
£105.00 |
£40,000 |
£19,000 |
£142.50 |
£45,000 |
£24,000 |
£180.00 |
£50,000 |
£29,000 |
£217.50 |
£55,000 |
£34,000 |
£255.00 |
£60,000 |
£39,000 |
£292.50 |
Part-time Students
Tuition Fee Loan
From 2012/13 you can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to:
- £4,500 for students on an approved part-time course at college whose courses are at least 25 per cent of a full-time course each year (eg. four years part-time instead of one year full time)
The Tuition Fee Loan is paid directly to the college.
The Tuition Fee Loan may not cover the full cost of your tuition if you’re studying on an approved course.
If you’re an EU student from outside the UK, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan if you meet certain conditions.
Access to Learning Fund*
The Access to Learning Fund (ALF) is available to provide help for students on low incomes who may need extra financial support to access and remain in higher education. More specifically the fund can be used to:
- Meet specific course and living costs, which are not already met from other sources i.e. loans or/grants
- Help if students are in financial hardship
- Provide emergency payments for unexpected financial crisis
- Help students who may be considering giving up their course because of financial problems
ALF is available to both full-time and part-time students, once enrolled. However, it is subject to eligibility criteria. To gain more information and to make an appointment to see if you are eligible to apply, please go along to any of the College’s Student Services or call 01942 761804.
*Information correct at the time of going to press.
