Financial Help
Financial support for UK students studying full-time undergraduate courses 2011-12
You are a UK student if you have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years immediately preceding the start of the course. The residency must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. Financial support is available only to students taking a university-accredited course, and is not available to students who already have a UK undergraduate degree.
Financial support available
The notes below have been prepared on the assumption that a prospective student is “ordinarily resident” in Wales. Whilst they should provide general guidance which should be helpful to all UK students, this factor needs to be borne in mind. (The notes apply for the 2011-12 academic year only)
Financial support for students studying on a full-time basis in higher education consists of loans for course fees and living costs.
COURSE FEES
1. Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a non means-tested Tuition Fee loan of up to £3375. Note that there is a shortfall between the amount you can borrow and the actual course fees of £6500. This shortfall is because the course, in common with that in many other theological colleges, is a designated course at a private college. The loan is paid directly to the place of study.
2. Welsh Tuition Fee Grant
(For students who normally live in Wales and are studying in Wales.)
The Welsh Tuition Fee Grant is no longer available to new students applying to study in the 2011-12 academic year. See instead the Assembly Learning Grant information below.
Students who are already receiving the Welsh Tuition Fee Grant will continue to do so at the rate of £2030 per year until the completion of their course.This is a non means-tested grant which is paid directly to the place of study.
LIVING COSTS
1 Maintenance Loan
This loan is to help you with the cost of course materials, accommodation, food, clothes, travel, and so on.
The maximum loan available for those not living in the parental home during 2011-12 is £4,745. The amount of loan available will depend upon household income, and may also depend on the amount of any Assembly Learning Grant awarded (see below). For continuing students, 25% of this loan will be means-tested.
All loans are provided by the Student Loans Company and are paid to the student in instalments. They are repayable following completion of the course of studies. The interest rate is fixed to the Retail Prices Index.
2. Assembly Learning Grant
The Assembly Learning Grant (ALG) is a means-tested grant which provides financial support to help meet general living costs. The maximum grant is £5600 for new students (£5000 for continuing students) for those with a household income of £18370 or less. For every £1 of ALG you receive, the amount of Maintenance Loan you are entitled to will be reduced by 60p, up to £2,844.
The grant is paid to the student in instalments and is not repayable.
Applying for financial help
The information given here is only a summary. For more detailed information, or to check if you are eligible for financial support, and to apply for loans and grants go to http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk. Alternatively, contact your Local Authority.
Helpful hints: when completing the loan application form, Section 4:
- enter ‘Wales Evangelical School of Theology’ as the name of the College
- the course is not a franchise
- the name of the course should be entered as ‘Theology’
- there are no UCAS codes to enter
Other Financial Assistance
Additional financial support is available for prospective students who are married, have children, or have a disability. Further details are available at http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
Useful Sources of Information
For more information on government financial support for your training go to: http://www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact 0800 100900.
Students from England, go to: http://www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk
Students from Northern Ireland, go to http://www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
Students from Scotland, go to http://www.student-support-saas.gov.uk
Please be aware that the bulk of information on all of these web sites relates to students studying courses at publicly-funded institutions. As explained earlier, the financial arrangements for those studying at a College, such as ours are different. In particular, there may be a significant shortfall in the support for your fees.
The notes above have been produced in good faith. Whilst the School has made every effort to ensure their accuracy, the School cannot accept responsibility for any errors.
Financial Support for UK Part-time and Distance Learning students
Financial support is available only to students taking a university-accredited course, and is not available to students who already have a UK undergraduate degree.
Part-Time students
Some funding is available for part-time studies, but the level of support is substantially less than for full-time students.
The funding consists of two elements: a Fee Grant and a Course Grant.
1. Fee Grant
This grant is means-tested and varies according to the rate at which you study. The figures given below are maximum amounts:
£670 for students studying the equivalent of 50% to 59% of the full time course of 120 credits.
£800 for the equivalent of 60% to 74% of full time
£1000 for the equivalent of 75% to 99% of full time
2. Course Grant
This is a means-tested grant of up to £1125 towards the cost of books, travel and other expenses. The actual grant payable is determined by the amount of your income.
There are also grants for part time students with disabilities and childcare costs.
Distance Learning students
Distance Learning students are only eligible to apply for part-time student support even if they are studying on a full-time basis.
1. Fee Grant
This grant is determined by the lesser of a) the actual fees payable by the student and b) £1000.
2. Course Grant
This is a means-tested grant of up to £1125 towards the cost of books, travel and other expenses. The actual grant payable is determined by the amount of your income.
There are also grants for part time students with disabilities and childcare costs.
Further details of part time and distance learning funding, and application forms can be obtained from http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk or the appropriate website for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland (see Useful Sources of Information, above).
Professional and Career Development Loans
Professional and Career Development Loans are commercial bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to 2 years of learning (or 3 years if it includes one year's relevant unpaid practical work). The Government will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards. You will then need to start repaying the loan as you would any other commercial loans product.
The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as living and travel expenses. You can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as loans or bursaries.
As the Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial loan product, you should make sure you have investigated all the funding options that may be open to you to ensure you take an informed decision about whether the Loan is right for you.
For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, visit
www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact Next Step on 0800 100 900. Our learning provider number is 7471.
Funding for European students studying full-time undergraduate courses
(You are a European student eligible for funding if you are a national or child of an EU national and you have been ordinarily resident in an EEA Member of State for the three years immediately prior to the start of the course. The residency must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education).
Students from the European Union may apply for a combined Tuition Fee loan/grant of up to £3375. Further information can be obtained from
http://www.direct.gov.uk
Note that there is a shortfall between the amount you can borrow and the actual course fees of £7500. This shortfall is because the course, in common with that in many other theological colleges, is a designated course at a private college.
The notes above have been produced in good faith. Whilst the School has made every effort to ensure their accuracy, the School cannot accept responsibility for any errors.
Who to Contact
Mr Kevin Green (Bursar)
E: bursar@west.org.uk
T: +44 (0)1656 641984