What support is available this year 08/09?

Help towards your tuition fees

Continuing students who commenced their studies before 2006 will be liable for a fee contribution of up to £1,255. You will be able to apply for a non means-tested fee loan to match your assessed fee contribution, in addition to the usual grant for fees. This loan is to be repaid once you have completed your studies.

Variable Fee Loans for Tuition Fees – for Students who started studying in 06/07

You will be charged tuition fees of up to £3,145. You will be entitled to apply for a Variable fee loan to the full value of your tuition fee cost.

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Higher Education Grant

This is a grant of up to £1,000. Full-time continuing students who started their course before September 2006, and have a household income of £16,750 or less are eligible for the maximum grant. The amount of grant you can receive will then decrease in accordance with your household income. Students whose household income exceeds £22,735 are not eligible for any Higher Education Grant.

Special Support Grant - for Students who started studying in 06/07

Students who began their studies in 2006/07 can apply for a means-tested Special Support Grant of up to £2835 in addition to 75% of the basic student loan rate.

Students who are eligible to receive the full grant, and who are being charged the maximum £3,145 tuition fee, can also apply to their place of study for a bursary of £310.

Maintenance grant

Full-time students,who entered higher education in 06/07 and 07/08, from lower income households will be eligible to receive a new (non-repayable) Maintenance Grant which is worth up to £2,835 a year. The actual amount you will be entitled to receive will depend upon your household income.

• Household residual income of £18,360 or less: student receives full grant
• Household residual income of £18,361 - £39,305: student receives part of the grant
• Household residual income of more than £39,305: student receives no grant

This grant will be paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term, just like your student loan.

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Part-time students

A summary of support available for part-time students

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Additional information

Postgraduate students

In general, there is no mandatory support for postgraduate study centrally funded by the DIUS for students in England; an exception to this are PGCE studies for those wishing to become teachers.

Further details can be found at
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/student_finance/postgraduate_students.cfm

Open University students

The Open University deals with applications for the fee grant, the course grant and Disabled Students Allowance from its own students. If you are studying with the Open University (OU) and you need any information, you should contact them on 01908 653411, or e-mail them at reg-fees@open.ac.uk for more details. If you are a disabled student studying at the Open University, you should contact your OU regional centre and ask about the conditions of eligibility for Disabled Students Allowances and how you should apply for them.

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