Student Finance Arrangements 2007/2008

1. Student Finance Arrangements 2007/2008

2. Content of Presentation Eligibility Residence Colleges Courses Entitlement Tuition Fees Living Expenses Household Income Allied Health Degrees Nursing Courses Social Work Degrees Part-time H.E. Courses How to apply What happens next? Repaying Student Loans Access to Guidance Contacts Further Education Awards

3. Eligibility There are some basic criteria that Student Finance NI will look at before it decides whether the student is eligible for support. These are – • Residence • Colleges • Courses Eligibility can also be affected by previous study

4. Eligibility Residence Normally an eligible student must: • have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least 3 years before the start of the course • have been ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland on the first day of the academic year in which the course begins

5. Eligibility Colleges An eligible student must attend an approved college to be able to get support. Approved colleges include – • A University or College in the UK or ROI that is maintained out of public funds • Certain private colleges, specifically designated for student support

6. Eligibility Courses An eligible student must attend an approved courseto get support. Approved courses include – • First Degree • Higher National Diploma • Higher National Certificate • Diploma of Higher Education • Foundation Degrees • Certain other courses

7. Entitlement Expenses whilst at university or college fall broadly into two categories – • Tuition fees – which help meet the cost of a course • Other higher education expenses, namely living costs

8. Entitlement Tuition Fees • Universities and colleges can charge new students up to £3,070 per year for their courses • Fees may vary between courses and between universities • Eligible students may not have to pay fees prior to commencing the course or whilst studying, however they can choose to pay ‘up front’

9. Entitlement Fees chargeable for students studying in the UK • England – up to £3,070 a year • Wales – up to £3,070 a year • Scotland – £1,735 a year, apart from Medicine where fees will be £2,760 a year (subject to confirmation) • N Ireland – up to £3,070 a year

10. Entitlement Fees chargeable for students studying in the ROI If attending an ROI college no Tuition Fees are payable – only a registration fee of €800 (2006/07 rate) which will be paid direct to the Institution upon receipt of an invoice

11. Entitlement Help with Tuition fees • All Students - can take out a Student Loan for Feesfor the amount charged by the institution (max £3,070) • Paid direct to the institution by SLC • No income assessment involved • Study first, pay back when student is earning more than £15,000 per year

12. Entitlement Help with living expenses Includes – • Loan for living costs (meanstested) • Maintenance Grant – max £3,265 (meanstested) Or • Special Support Grant – max £3,265 (non-meanstested grant available to students who have an underlying eligibility to DSD (Social Security Agency or Housing Executive) means tested benefits)

13. Entitlement Help with Living expenses Student Loans for Maintenance • To help with living and study costs such as rent, food and books • In 2007 … Max £6,315 if living away from parents’ home and studying in LondonMax £4,510 if living away from parents’home and studying outside London Max £3,495 if living at home

14. Entitlement Help with Living expenses Maintenance Grant / Special Support Grant • Payable to students from low income households • Worth up to £3,265a year – depending on household income • Grant paid in three instalments at the start of each term which doesn’t have to be paid back unless the student withdraws from their course or a reassessment is required

15. Entitlement Help with Living Expenses Extra help includes - • Parents’ Learning Allowance of up to £1,435 a year • Childcare Grant of up to £148.75 a week for one child and £255.00 a week for two or more • Adult Dependants’ Grant of up to £2,510 a year

16. Entitlement Help with Living Expenses Disabled Students’ Allowance – a range of help available which is not meanstested on household income • Specialist equipment allowance of up to £4,905 for the whole course • Non-medical helpers’ allowance of up to £12,420 • General allowance of up to £1,640 per year • Extra travel costs as a result of the disability

17. Entitlement Help from your Institution Higher Education Bursary Scholarship Scheme (HEBSS) Institutions charging tuition fees of £3,070 may provide a minimum of £305 to students who are in receipt of full or partial Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant Speak to your Institution to find out what it offers

18. Household income Student Finance NI assesses householdincome based on: Net taxable income of the student excluding any earnings during institution term-time and holidays;PLUS Gross taxable income of parent(s) /partners / step-parents; LESS Deductions for payments into pensionfunds and £1,075 for each other dependentchild in the household This does not apply to Independent students

19. Contribution Scales 2007/08

20. Allied Health Professional Degrees What do they cover ? • Chiropody, Dental Hygiene/Therapy, Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Orthoptics, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Prosthetics, Radiography, Speech and Language Therapy, etc at the University of Ulster • Income assessed bursary of £2245 (not normally repayable) • Reduced rate student loan • Tuition fees paid

21. AHP Students If studying an Allied Health Professional Degree in the UK the student needs to apply for the NHS Bursary to the authority where the Institution is situated, i.e. England– The NHS Student Grants Unit, Hesketh House, 200-220 Broadway, Fleetwood, Lancashire – 0845 358 6655 Scotland– The Student Awards Agency for Scotland, 3 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh – 0845 111 1711 Wales– The NHS Wales Student Awards Unit, 12th Floor, Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road, Cardiff – 029 2026 1495 Northern Ireland – Student Finance where the student lives

22. Nursing Courses If studying a Nursing Degree/Diploma at the University of Ulster or Queen’s University students need to apply for full funding to the following authority – Bursary Administration Unit, Nursing Board NI, 3rd Floor, Finance Directorate, Central Services Agency, 25 Adelaide Street, Belfast, BT2 8FH Tel No 028 90553661

23. Social Work Degrees Students on first degree social work will get funding from Student Finance NI and DHSS • Student Finance NI – Fee Loan, Maintenance loan and Maintenance or Special Support Grant • DHSS – non means-tested bursary, contribution to work based learning expenses

24. Part-time HE Courses Eligible courses are: • at least one academic year’s duration • at least 50% of a full-time course Eligible students: • are not bound by age limits • do not have a degree Support for eligible students will consist of: • means-tested Tuition fees up to a maximum of £1150 • a means-tested grant of £250 towards the cost of books, travel and other course costs Students can also apply for assistance through the Disabled Students’ Allowance

25. How to apply for support for HE • Application forms are available from your local Student Finance NI office • Download an application form online atwww.studentfinanceni.co.uk • Complete form fully and return to your local Student Finance NI Office • Ensure correct postage is paid (1st class not sufficient) • EU Students should apply to the EU Team in Darlington

26. How to apply for support for HE Information required The following information must be provided with the application form – • Original Birth certificate or valid Passport. A Birth cert must be accompanied by a declaration from the school confirming identity • National Insurance Number • Student bank account details • Details of student’s income and that of their household (previous financial year)

27. What happens next? • SFNI determines eligibility and entitlement • SLC sends notification of entitlement and payment schedule letters • Student takes notification to University at enrolment stage • Student is paid termly by BACS from SLC Remember – contact Student Finance NI if your circumstances change, as this may affect your current and future entitlement

28. Repaying Student Loans… • Only repayable once students have left their course and are earning over £15,000 a year. Payments stop if earnings drop below this • Repayments based on what is earned, e.g. earnings at £18,000 pay back £22 a month • Loans for Fees combined with Loans for Maintenance into a single payment • Low interest rate charges

29. Access to Guidance • Student Finance NI - 0845 6000 662 • General information www.studentfinanceni.co.uk • Loan repayments www.studentfinanceni.co.uk • General guide ‘A guide to financial support for higher education students in 2007/08’

30. Access to Guidance Other useful Websites • www.slc.co.uk • www.ucas.ac.uk • www.dfes.gov.uk • www.hero.ac.uk • www.bbc.co.uk/education

31. How to Contact us By telephone on:0845 6000 662 By post or personal visit: Student Finance NI, 3 Charlemont Place, The Mall, Armagh, BT61 9AX Visit our web site at: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk

32. Further Education Awards There are two main types of full/part-time Further Education Award: • Further Education Award • Advanced Further Education Award Closing Dates: • Full time – 29 June 2007 • Part time - 28 September 2007 Apply to: Student Finance NI Further Education Awards Section 1 Hospital Road Omagh Telephone 028 82 254546

33. Further Education Awards CRITERIA Student Finance NI will have to apply the agreed criteria to all applications FEES If an award is approved the tuition fees are paid direct to the Institution up to a maximum level AWARD / GRANT This grant is means-tested and not refundable unless the student withdraws or a reassessment is required

34. Further Education Awards FURTHER EDUCATION AWARD • Non-advanced courses, eg AVCE, BTEC Nat Dip, NVQ, GNVQ at local colleges of F&HE • Student aged 19 on 1 July 2007 • Maximum award of £2000 • No fees payable unless you attend an institution in GB or ROI

35. Further Education Awards ADVANCED FURTHER EDUCATION AWARD • Advanced courses, eg Foundation Art and Design, NVQ Level IV • Maximum Award of £2000

36. Further Guidance Student Finance NI has endeavoured to detail every aspect of the application process and possible funding available to students entering Further/ Higher Education. However, if you have any queries that are not mentioned in this presentation please contact the Customer Services Office on 0845 6000 662 for further assistance.