Student Services

Funding For New Full-time

Undergraduates commencing Autumn 2013

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Student Services

Funding For New Full-time

Undergraduates commencing Autumn 2013

This information sheet provides a basic outline of the fees and funding that apply to new ‘home’ and ‘EU’ students starting a full-time undergraduate course at University of West London in the 2013/14 academic year and are commenicing in the Autumn of 2013

Undergraduate courses include qualifications such as HNC and HND, DipHE, Foundation Degree, and undergraduate degrees (e.g. BA, BSc, LLB). If you are not sure what level your course is, seek advice. Courses at undergraduate level or above are often referred to as ‘higher education’.

Note: Students on NHS-funded courses should see our information sheet on Funding for students on National Health Service (NHS) courses starting 2012/13.

Tuition fees

Fee status

For most courses, there are two rates of tuition fee; a lower ‘home’ rate and a higher ‘overseas’ rate. Whether you are eligible to pay the ‘home’ rate will depend on factors such as your nationality or immigration status in the UK (or, in some cases, the nationality or immigration status of a relevant family member) and your residence prior to the start of the course.

For more information on the requirements that a student must meet to be charged fees as a ‘home’ student, please see the University of West London website or the UKCISA (UK Council

for International Student Affairs) website:

Note that there are fewer eligible categories of ‘home’ student for higher education courses than for further education courses, so even if you were eligible to be a ‘home’ fee payer for a further education course, you may not qualify to be a ‘home’ fee payer for a higher education course.

Previous higher education study

Previous higher education study will affect your entitlement to funding. Please see the section later in this information sheet for more details.

If you will be studying a qualification that is at an equivalent or lower level than the highest qualification you currently hold (i.e. you will be studying an ‘ELQ’, or ‘Equivalent or Lower Qualification’), your eligibility forfunding may be affected by studying an ‘ELQ’

This applies regardless of when you achieved the previous qualification or where you studied for it. If your qualification is from outside the UK, contact the Learning Advice Centre on 0800 036 8888, to check what UK level it is equivalent to.

Note: even if you are not charged a higher ‘ELQ’ fee, your eligibility forfunding may be affected by studying an ‘ELQ’ – see the section on ‘Funding’ for more details.

How much are the fees?

•Most UWL full time undergraduate courses will charge £7,500 to Home/EU students starting their course in 2012, except for Nursing students on NHS-commissioned courses, who are subject to separate arrangements.

•The following courses will charge £8,200 to Home/EU students starting their course in 2012/13:

–Musical Theatre

–Popular Music performance and Recording

–Music Performance/Composition

•All other full time undergraduate courses in the School of Art, Design & Media and London College of Music will charge £7,670 to Home/EU students starting their course in 2012/13.

Tuition fees for courses starting in the academic year 2013/14 or later are subject to confirmation.

Funding

Eligibility for funding

In order to get funding for a course you must meet the requirements to be a ‘home’ student or an ‘EU’ student (‘EU’ students are only eligible for funding towards their tuition fees).

Whether you are eligible as a ‘home’ or ‘EU’ student depends on factors such as your nationality or immigration status in the UK (or, in some cases, the nationality or immigration status of a relevant family member) and your residence prior to the start of the course. EU / EEA nationals and their family members often meet the criteria to qualify for full funding as ‘home’ students. You should check the criteria, as even if you are a ‘home’ student for fees purposes, you may not be for funding purposes.

For more information on the requirements that a student must meet to be eligible for funding as a ‘home’ or ‘EU’ student, please see the University of West London website or the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website:

Also, to qualify for support, courses must be at an appropriate level and be at least one academic year long. For some of the funding that is available, entitlement is based on your household income (after certain deductions).

Who does this funding information apply to?

The information given mainly applies to students who live in England (see page 12 if you do not live in England).

If you began your undergraduate studies prior to September 2012, you should seek advice about the tuition fees and funding arrangements that will apply to you.

There are different funding arrangements for students on NHS-funded courses. Please see our information sheet Funding for students on National health Service (NHS) courses starting September 2012/13.

Funding available in 2012/13

Tuition Fee Loan

If you do not have the money to pay your fees, you can choose to take out a tuition fee loan to cover them – this will be paid to the University on your behalf, and you will have to pay it back once you have left or finished your course and are earning over £21,000 a year.

The interest rate is kept in line with inflation. (Retail Price Index) plus 3% while the student is studying and up until the end of April after the student leaves their course. Any loan that remains outstanding after 30 years from when you leave your course will be written off. There is no age limit for the tuition fee loan. The loan is not means-tested, and is available to ‘home’ and ‘EU’ students.

If you have been awarded a Tuition Fee Loan, take your financial notification (showing that your loan has been approved) with you to enrolment. If you receive your notification after enrolment, you should take it to University of West London’s Credit Control department / Cash Office. If you are not able to pay your fees at enrolment, and your tuition fee loan is still to be approved, you will be asked to set up a Standing Order to pay your tuition fees in instalments. If your tuition fee loan is subsequently approved, you can request a refund of any excess fees you have paid yourself.

Note that if you stop attending or leave your course early, your Tuition Fee Loan may not be paid, and you will be liable to pay any fee owed according to the University of West London fee payment policy (this can be found in the student handbook). If you are considering leaving your course, it is strongly recommended to seek advice about the financial implications of doing this.

Maintenance Loan

‘Home’ students can take out a maintenance loan for living costs. The maximum amounts for first years will be:

  • £4,375 per year - students living at their parents’ home
  • £5,500 per year - students based at the Slough or Reading campus (living away from home)
  • £7,675 per year - students based at the Ealing or Paragon campus (living away from home)

However, these maximum amounts are reduced in some circumstances.

If your assessed household income is over £25,000, 35 per cent of your loan entitlement will be means-tested so you may get less than these maximum amounts.

If your assessed household income is over £25,000 and you receive amaintenance grant (see below), these maximum loan amounts will be reduced because of this. Students who receive a maintenance grant will lose £0.50 off their loan entitlement for every £1 of maintenance grant they are entitled to.

If you have undertaken any previous higher education study, a different method of calculating your loan entitlement, and different maximum amounts, may apply.

The amount of loan available usually rises slightly each year, with inflation. You will receive a reduced amount in your final year. Students must be aged below 60 on the first day of the first academic year in order to be able to receive a maintenance loan during their course.

For students taking out a maintenance loan for the first time in 2012/13, the repayment arrangements are essentially the same as for the Tuition Fee Loan – please see that section for details.

To ensure that your funding is paid into your account, take your financial notification (showing that your maintenance loan, grant, etc. has been approved) with you to enrolment. If you receive your notification after enrolment, you should take it to Cash Office.

Maintenance Grant

The maintenance grant is a grant of up to £3,354 that is available to ‘home’ students (but see ‘Special Support Grant’ below). The maintenance grant is non-repayable. It is means-tested, based on household income.

Students with a household income of:

  • £25,000 or less – will qualify for a full maintenance grant
  • £25,001 - £42,611 – will qualify for a partial maintenance grant
  • over £42,611 – no maintenance grant

If you have undertaken any previous higher education study, a different means test may be applied.

Special Support Grant

Most full-time students are not eligible to claim means-tested benefits such as Income Support or Housing Benefit during their course. However, certain groups of students do remain eligible, including some lone parents and certain disabled students. ‘Home’ students who fall into one of the eligible groups will not qualify for the maintenance grant, but will be assessed instead (in the same way) for a special support grant of up to £3,250 to cover course-related costs.

Students who receive the special support grant will not have their maintenance loan reduced in the way that students getting the maintenance grant will.

Supplementary grants

Certain ‘home’ students will be eligible for grants because of their circumstances, e.g. because they have dependants or a disability , mental health condition or specific learning difficulty.

The rates shown are for the 2012/13 academic year, and are the maximum available (subject to a means-test, where applicable).

Parents’ Learning Allowance– this is payable to students who have dependent children. This income assessed allowance will pay up to £1,508 a year.

Dependants’ Allowances– These are payable to you for people (spouse / civil partner / partner). This income assessed allowance will pay up to £2,642 a year.

Childcare Allowance– This is available to students with dependent children under the age of 15 (or under 17 if the child has special education needs) , to help with the cost of registered or approved childcare. As it is means-tested, the level of support you receive will depend on your individual circumstances.

The Childcare Allowance is available during term time and holidays. It pays up to 85% of actual costs up to a maximum of £148.75 per week for one child and £255 per week for two or more children.

Students will not qualify for this grant if they, or their husband, wife or partner receives the childcare part of the Working Tax Credit from HM Revenue & Customs.

Student’s provide estimated costs which are use to work out theirChildcare Grant payments until they provide details of the actual payments. At the end of the first term, Student Finance England will contact the student to provide actual costs. Student Finance England reassess the entitlement based on the actual costs provided and, if there have been any overpayments or underpayments they will adjust the entitlement accordingly.

Disabled Students’ Allowances–

These are intended to cover the extra costs you incur while training as a direct result of your disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia. This allowance is not means-tested.

a.Specialist equipment allowance - this is to pay for major items of specialist equipment, for example a computer. The maximum amount available for 2012/13 is £5,161 for full-time or part-time students. This amount covers the whole of the course.

b.Non-medical personal helper - To fund support workers you may require such as specialist study skills tutors, communication support workers, mentors. The maximum amount available for 2012/13 is £20,520 for full-time students (including full-time distance learning students). This amounts is for each year of your course.

c.General allowance - This can be used to fund general study related costs, such as photocopying/printing allowance, book allowance. The maximum amount for 2012/13 is £1,724 for full-time students (including full-time distance learning students). This amounts is for each year of your course.

d.Travel costs - Help with extra travel costs related to attending university that you incur because of your disability. This grant is to cover additional expenditure for travel in the UK, reasonably incurred by reason of the student’s disability, to attend or participate in the course .

National Scholarship Programme (NSP)

The Government's National Scholarship Programme (NSP) will provide help with the cost of attending university to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and are first time entrants to Higher Education.

The scholarship will provide a package of benefits to eligible students and each university will design its own scholarships, providing support for their students towards the cost of study.

The University of West LondonScholarships will be worth £3,000 for individual students and will consist of the following :

  1. £1,500 cash bursary to cover travel costs, accommodation and other living expenses
  2. £1,500 credit to cover University services including the bookshop account, library fees, sustenance in the various restaurants on campus

The University of West LondonScholarships will be awarded for the first year of study only.

Detailed eligibility Information and application form can be found at uwl.ac.uk/nsp

The closing date for University of West London NSP Scholarships is 31 July 2013.

Discretionary funding

‘Home’ students can apply to the Access to Learning Fund once they are at University of West London.

The Access to Learning Fund is a discretionary fund, provided to University of West London by the government, to help ‘home’ full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students access and remain in higher education.

Students must meet certain residence requirements to be classed as ‘home’ students for funding purposes, and these are slightly different to the requirements for paying the ‘home’ rate of tuition fee. For more information, download the information sheet ‘Student Support: applying in England’ from the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website:

The purpose of the Fund is to support vulnerable students by:

  • helping those who need additional financial support to meet particular costs not covered or fully met by statutory funding;
  • helping to alleviate financial hardship;
  • meeting unexpected financial emergencies; and
  • assisting students who may otherwise have to leave as a result of financial difficulties.

All applications are treated confidentially and any award made is usually in the form of a grant, so you will not have to repay the money. The fund is discretionary and decisions are based on the information you provide within your application.

The Access to Learning Fund cannot assist students with help towards tuition fees.

The fund is intended to help with living costs. For example, you may have extra expenditure as a mature student or as a parent.

Generally, you should have applied for, and received, all of the funding you are entitled to before applying to ALF. If you are eligible for a student loan you must have taken out the maximum amount you are entitled to, before an application to the fund can be considered.

An exception to this requirement is where students are applying to ALF for help towards the cost of an educational psychologist’s report, if they require diagnostic testing for a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. Contact Disability Support for more information about this (see the Useful Contacts section for details).

NHS-funded students are also eligible to apply to the Access to Learning Fund, if they meet the residence requirements for ‘home’ students.

The following groups will be given priority when applying for ALF:

  • students with children (especially lone parents);
  • students from low income families;
  • disabled students, in particular for those cases where the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is unable to meet certain costs;
  • students who have left care;
  • students who are homeless or from Foyers;
  • students in receipt of the final year student loan rate, who are in financial difficulty.
  • mature students, in particular those with existing financial commitments including priority debts;

There are two types of award:

  • Standard awards can help to meet general costs associated with being a student, including living costs such as rent, mortgage payments, food, utility bills, etc. In addition, assistance with course-related costs such as childcare, travel, books and field trips is available;
  • Non-standard awards can help to meet exceptional costs, such as repairs to essential household equipment, and emergency situations, eg. travel costs due to family illness.
  • For more information, please refer to the guidance notes provided with the application form.
  • You can apply each year, at any time during the academic year, up to the published deadline (please check this with the One Stop Shop). You can also make a repeat application in a year if your circumstances have changed. Documentary proof of any changes will be needed.
  • Application forms and guidance notes are available from the One Stop Shop (see the Useful Contacts section for details).
  • Completed forms and all documentary evidence should be returned to the address listed on the application form.

Funding for certain courses

BSc Social Work