Student Finance Arrangements

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• Student Finance Arrangements
• 2008/2009

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Eligibility Criteria

• Residence
• Normally a 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

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Eligibility Criteria

• Colleges
• A 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
• The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural
  Enterprise
• Certain private colleges, specifically designated
  for student support

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Eligibility Criteria

• Courses
• A student must attend an approved course to
• get support e.g.
• First Degree
• Higher National Diploma
• Higher National Certificate
• Diploma of Higher Education
• Foundation Degrees
• Certain other courses

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Entitlement

• Help with Tuition fees
• All Students - can take out a Student Loan for
  Fees for the amount charged by the institution
  (max 3,145)
• 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
• Fees may vary between courses and between
  universities

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Entitlement

• Fees chargeable for students studying in the UK
• England up to 3,145 a year
• Wales up to 3,145 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 3,145 a year

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Entitlement

• Fees chargeable for students studying in the ROI
• If attending an ROI college no Tuition Fees are
• payable only a registration fee of 825
  (2007/08 rate) which will be paid direct to the
  Institution upon receipt of an invoice
• Transfer or repeat students will be charged the
  full tuition fee

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Entitlement

• Help with Living expenses
• Student Loans for Maintenance
• To help with living and study costs
• In 2008
• Max 6475 if living away from parents home
  and studying in LondonMax 4,625 if living away
  from parents home and studying outside London
• Max 3,580 if living at home

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Entitlement

• Help with Living expenses
• Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant
• Non-repayable grant for students from low income
  households
• Worth up to 3,335 a year depending on
  household income
• SSG is available to students who have an
  underlying eligibility to Social Security Agency
  or Housing Executive means-tested benefits

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Entitlement

• Help with Living Expenses
• Extra help includes
• Parents Learning Allowance of up to 1,470 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 2,575 a year

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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 5,030
  for the whole course
• Non-medical helpers allowance of up to 20,000
  per year
• General allowance of up to 1,680 per year
• Extra travel costs as a result of the disability

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Entitlement

• Help from your Institution
• Higher Education Bursary Scholarship Scheme
• (HEBSS)
• Institutions charging tuition fees of 3,145 may
  provide a minimum of 310 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

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Household income

• Student Finance NI assesses household income
  based on
• Gross 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 pension funds
  and 1,100 for each other dependent child in the
  household
• This does not apply to Independent students

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Contribution Scales 2008/09
Income Maint Grant Lodging Rate of Loan Maint Grant Plus Loan
18,360 3, 335 2,865 6,200
27,810 1,260 3,365 4,625
39,305 50 4,575 4,625
50,000 0 3,550 3,550
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Allied Health Professional Degrees

• What do they cover ?
• Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy,
  Podiatry, Radiography, Speech and Language
  Therapy, etc at the University of Ulster
• Income assessed bursary of 2,300 (not normally
  repayable)
• Reduced rate student loan of 2,265
• Tuition fees paid

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Allied Health Professional Degrees

• 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,
  FY7 8SS 0845 358 6655
• Scotland The Student Awards Agency for
  Scotland, Gyleview House, 3 Redheughs Rigg,
  Edinburgh, EH12 9HH 0845 111 1711
• Wales The NHS Wales Student Awards Unit, 3rd
  Floor, 14 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ
  02920 615888
• Northern Ireland Student Finance where the
  student lives

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Nursing Courses

• If studying a Nursing Degree/Diploma at the
  University of Ulster or Queens University
  students need to apply for full funding to the
  following authority
• Bursary Administration Unit,
• Nursing Board NI,
• 2 Franklin Street
• BELFAST
• BT2 8DQ Tel No 028 90 553661

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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

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Part-time HE Courses

• Eligible courses are
• at least one academic years 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
  1180
• a means-tested grant of 255 towards the cost of
  books, travel and other course costs
• Students can also apply for assistance through
  the Disabled
• Students Allowance

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How to apply for support for HE

• Application forms are available from your local
  Student Finance NI office
• Download an application form online at
  www.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

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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 students income and that of their
  household
• (previous financial year)

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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

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Student Responsibility

• It is essential students keep SFNI informed of
  any change of circumstances as this may affect
  your current and future entitlement
• eg.
• Name/marital status
• Address (home/lodging)
• Transfer/Suspension or Withdrawal from course
  /college.

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Repayments

• Student Loans are only repayable once students
  have left their course and are earning over
  15,000 a year. Payments stop if earnings drop
  below this
• Repayments are based on what is earned, e.g.
  earnings at 18,000 pay back 22 a month
• Grants are not repayable unless a student
  withdraws from their course or a re-assessment is
  required

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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

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Further Education Awards

• There are two main types of full/part-time
  Further Education
• Awards
• Further Education Award
• Advanced Further Education Award
• Closing Dates
• Full time - 30 June 2008
  
• Part time - 31 October 2008
• Apply to
• Student Finance NI
• Further Education Awards Section
• 1 Hospital Road
• Omagh
  Telephone [phone]
• 
  Email feawards_at_welbni.org

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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

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Further Education Awards

• FURTHER EDUCATION AWARD
• Non-advanced courses, eg AVCE, BTEC Nat Dip, NVQ,
  GNVQ at local colleges of FHE
• Student aged 19 on 1 July 2008
• Maximum award of 2000
• No fees payable unless you attend an institution
  in GB or ROI

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Further Education Awards

• ADVANCED FURTHER EDUCATION AWARD
• Advanced courses, eg Foundation Art and Design,
  NVQ Level IV
• Maximum Award of 2000

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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.