Fees and financial support

Fees and financial support A guide for UK full and part-time undergraduate students starting 2011/12

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1 WELCOME

What is your course going to cost?

For full-time undergraduate students

For part-time undergraduate students*

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The fee for a full-time bachelor degree course or PGCE course for UK and EU students is £3,375 a year.

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The fee per 20 credit module studied is £460.

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Our fees for Foundation Degrees and HNC/Ds are £2,300 a year.

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For students on Nursing and Midwifery courses fees are paid by the NHS as long as you qualify for an NHS Bursary.

To work out your total fee, decide how many modules you want to study each year-for example, three modules are the same as 50% of a full-time course. If you intend to study 50% of a full-time course, you would pay £460 x 3 = £1380

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Remember, if you take out a Student Loan for tuition fees, you don’t have to repay this while you are studying.

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If you do not want a loan to pay your fees you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments for no extra charge – visit: www.wlv.ac.uk/howtopay

* This was the latest information (2011) at time of going to print.

Please check back with us for updates before applying – contact details are on the back page. Please note fees increase each year in line with inflation.

FINANCIAL Contents SUPPORT 2

Money for UK students from the

government you don’t have to pay back Maintenance Grant*

Help for students with disabilities*

(to help full-time undergraduate students with living expenses)

The government offers a range of Disabled Students’ Allowances designed to help you meet the extra cost of study as a result of a disability or specific learning difficulty.

You could be eligible for a yearly Maintenance Grant of up to £2,906. How much you get depends on your family income.

• You will receive the full grant entitlement if your family income is £25,000 or less.

• You will receive a partial grant if your family income is over £25,000 but not more than £50,020.

Special Support Grant* (for students on certain means-tested benefits) You may be eligible for a Special Support Grant in place of a Maintenance Grant if you can claim certain means-tested benefits.

• Students who are likely to qualify for the Special Support Grant include lone parents, student couples with children, and some disabled students.

Extra help for families on a low income* If you are studying full-time and have children or other dependants who rely on you financially, the government can help you to take care of them.

• A Childcare Grant of up to £148.75 per week is available to help with the cost of registered approved childcare if you have one child. If you have two or more children the maximum is £255 per week.

• If you are a full-time student with dependent children, the Parents’ Learning Allowance can provide up to £1,508 a year. You can apply for this even if you don’t receive a Childcare Grant.

• If you have another member of your family who is dependent on you, then you could be eligible for the Adult Dependants’ Grant which can be worth up to £2,642 a year.

• Full-time students with a disability may be entitled to annual financial help of up to £1,724 as a general allowance, £5,161 for special equipment, and as much as £20,520 for non-medical helpers.

• Part-time students with a disability may be entitled to annual financial help of up to £1,293 as a general allowance, £5,161 for special equipment, and £15,390 for non-medical helpers.

Students with disabilities can also talk to the University of Wolverhampton’s Student Enabling Centre on tel: 01902 321020.

Grants for part-time undergraduate students* Part-time students on a low income can apply for a fee grant towards their tuition fees. There is also a £265 course grant to cover study costs and other higher education expenses. The grant you get depends on your income and the hours you intend to study. *If you live in England and wish to apply for any of the above support you should contact Student Finance England at: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

3 FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Money for UK students from the

University you don’t have to pay back Start Right Bursary* The University’s Start Right Bursary will give you extra cash in each year of your undergraduate study if you are a full-time student on a bachelor degree. The amount you receive depends on your family income.

• have applied and accepted an offer of a place at the University of Wolverhampton on a full-time course that costs £3,375 per year.

Speak to your tutor to find out whether you fit the nomination criteria.

• £25,000 or less and we’ll give you an extra £500 a year.

• £25,001-£35,000 and we’ll give you an extra £300 a year.

Access to Learning Fund

You are entitled to a Start Right Bursary if:

If you are a UK-home student and experience serious financial difficulties while studying, the University can offer a grant to help with your living costs.

• you are a UK student on an undergraduate degree course for which the current fee is £3,375.

• your family household income is less than £35,000.

Even better, your bursary will be processed automatically once you have applied for your student financial support package from Student Finance England.

Student Achievement Scholarship Exceeded expectations? You could receive £1,000 to help you get started in higher education. This is not related to your family income, and is on top of any other money you might get.

You can be nominated by your school or college if they are partners of the University through the Making Choices Partnership or UWCAN agreement. To be nominated they need to be able to see that you:

• You need maximum statutory support available, before applying to the Access to Learning Fund.

• This grant cannot be used to pay tuition fees.

• Contact us on tel: 01902 321070 for more information visit: www.wlv.ac.uk/money4students

Sports Achievement Scholarship This Scholarship is open to talented and elite athletes and is worth up to £1,000 each year. Scholarships are awarded each October and successful applicants are awarded financial and/or other support (such as free access to facilities, strength and conditioning support and mentoring). For an application form or to find out more, go to: www.wlv.ac.uk/sportsschol, email: s.wiseman2@wlv.ac.uk or tel: 01902 518900.

• have progressed further in your studies than was predicted • are well motivated and engaged in your learning • have shown an interest in higher education and will benefit from it

*Applications for the Start Right Bursary are made to Student Finance England at: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance when you apply for your grants and loans. Other schemes mentioned above are applied for direct to the University.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT 4

Subject specific support PGCE

Nursing and Midwifery

UK PGCE students may be eligible for a Maintenance Grant of up to £2,906, depending on family income. If you are entitled to the full grant of £2,906, the University will give you a £338 Start Right Bursary.

NHS bursaries are available for students studying a degree course. For the latest information, contact one of our Education Guidance Advisers (see back page) or go to: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students

You can apply for a student loan to cover tuition fees and take out a loan for living costs.

In addition, there is a generous package of teacher training bursaries from the Training and Development Agency: Bursaries from £4,000 – £9,000 depending on the age range and subject you wish to teach. (figures for 2010/11 so may change).

For more information about funding for PGCE students, log on to: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance or www.tda.gov.uk

Social Work Bursaries are available for students on social work courses in addition to standard loans and grants. For the latest information visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students

5 FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Money you will have to pay back Government Student Loan for Fees If you wish, you can also take out a loan to cover the full course fee. It is open to eligible full-time UK students and does not depend on your family income.

• If you choose to pay your fees with a Student Loan for Fees, the money will be paid direct to the University.

• The loan does not need to be paid back until you have left university and are earning a certain amount, currently £15,000 a year.

Government Student Loan for Maintenance You can also take out a loan to help cover your living expenses • If you choose to live with your parents while you are at University you can borrow up to £3838.

• If not you may receive up to £4950.

• The exact loan amount available depends on family income.

• You won’t have to start making repayments until you have finished your course and are earning a certain amount, which is currently £15,000 a year.

• You will be eligible for a proportion of the Student Loan for Maintenance regardless of your family income.

Your loan repayments are calculated at 9% of your earnings over £15,000 pa. This means that if you are earning a graduate starting salary of £18,000 pa, your repayment will be about £5.20 a week.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT 6

earn Money you can

Money you can earn A part-time job can help ease the journey through university and make a useful addition to your CV. Earning extra money by working part-time doesn’t affect your entitlement to government funding if you are studying full-time.

• At The Workplace, the University’s very own job shop, our Job Matching Service can help you access a range of part-time jobs that are fairly paid and fit in around your studies.

To find out more, contact The Workplace on tel: 01902 323400

Any questions? www.wlv.ac.uk/moneymatters

Student Enabling Centre

For information on the University’s own bursaries, scholarships, fees and financial advice, plus general information on grants from the government and student loans.

Call: 01902 321020 or go to: www.wlv.ac.uk/sec

Education Guidance Advisers

www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

Call: 01902 321032 or email: gateway@wlv.ac.uk

For more information on all government grants and loans, and how to apply for them.

Speak to one of our Education Guidance Advisers in The Gateway about funding your HE studies generally and about financial advice relating to the University of Wolverhampton specifically.

For advice on how the University can help disabled students to study on an equal basis with other students.

Get your money on time Full-time students! Make sure you apply for your funding early. You don’t need to have a confirmed place at University before you apply! www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton West Midlands, WV1 1LY

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