A guide to financial support for higher education students

Transcription

1 A guide to financial support for higher education students in 2013/14 (additional information) facebook.com/sfwales twitter.com/sf_wales SFW/FSHE/NEW/V13

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3 Entitlement to financial support General information about income for all students Your entitlement to most of the grants and part of the maintenance loan depends on your household s income. Your household income is made up of your and your parents income if you are a dependent student, or your income and that of your partner (if any) if you are an independent student. When you apply for any of this financial support, you will need to supply relevant income information for you and your household when it is requested, even if you supplied this in previous years. If you choose not to provide information about your household s income, the most support you are likely to receive is a non-income assessed rate of the maintenance loan (this is normally 75% of the maximum available, depending on your circumstances). However, you will still be able to apply for a loan and a fee grant (if eligible) to cover the full cost of your fees unless you have undertaken certain previous higher education study (see page 4). This guidance is only for reference, and does not cover all circumstances. It is not a statement of the law. 1

4 If you begin your studies on or after 1 September 2013 working out your household income Your personal income You will be asked to estimate your total income for the coming academic year. This income includes all money that you earn or receive that is taxable, including certain social security benefits, except for: Any income from jobs you do during the course. This includes work during the holidays, in the evenings or at weekends; Payments made into a pension scheme and superannuation payments that qualify for tax relief; 1,130 for any child who is totally or mainly financially dependent on you. Your parental income Your parents income, (usually based on financial year 2011/12 if you are applying for a September 2013 entry known as prior tax year ) unless: you choose not to provide details of your parents income because you only want support that is not assessed on your parents income; OR you are an independent student (see page 5 if you think you may be an independent student). If your parents are separated, divorced or widowed, the income of whichever parent you normally live with will be assessed. We will ignore the income of the parent who does not live with you. If your parent lives with a partner (of the same or opposite sex), has remarried, or has entered into a civil partnership, their partner s income will also be included in the assessment. 2

5 How your household income is worked out Your household income is used to determine what student finance you are eligible for, whether your household should contribute towards your fees and living costs, and, if so, how much this contribution should be. Your parents residual income is worked out by taking their gross income for the prior tax year (before tax and National Insurance) and taking off allowances for the following: Parents pension scheme and superannuation payments that qualify for tax relief; 1,130 for any child who is totally or mainly financially dependent on them; 1,130 if the parent is also a student. Different rules apply if some other family member is also receiving student support, as your household s contribution will be worked out before LAs (Local Authorities) share it between you and other students in your family. Your LA will be able to give you more information if this applies to you. Once your parents residual income is worked out, this is added to your income (if any) and what they are expected to contribute is worked out. If you are an independent student, your personal income and the income of your partner (if any) will be calculated as your household income. If your circumstances change during your course (for example, if one of your parents stops working and your household income drops by 15%), your household contribution might need to be assessed again. Please contact your LA for further advice. EU students If you are a European Union (EU) national, or a family member of an EU national, studying in Wales, you may get a tuition fee loan and the new fee grant on a similar basis to Welsh students. If you are an EU student and applying through UCAS, they will send you an application form for the fee loan when you are offered a place on a course. If you do not apply through UCAS, you will be able to get an application form from the Student Loans Company s EU team. them at: EU_Team@slc.co.uk or phone

6 Previous Study Students with an Honours Degree Generally, if a student already has an honours degree from a UK institution, they are ineligible for further support. However, a student with an honours degree may qualify for fee support if they undertake a course of initial teacher training (ITT) and if the ordinary duration of the course does not exceed 2 years. All full-time ITT students may also qualify for maintenance loans. A student with an honours degree may qualify for Disabled Students Allowance and grants for dependants. Students who are also pursuing a second undergraduate degree in certain subjects (medical doctor, dentist, social work, veterinary surgeon and architect) may qualify for a maintenance loan only. If you are in any doubt about your eligibility because of previous study, you should contact your Local Authority as soon as possible for advice, and definitely before commencing your course. Students who have studied a higher education course but not attained an Honours degree Generally, support will be available for the current course length plus one additional year if required less any previous years of higher education. The years of previous study which are counted towards a student s support entitlement includes: A mandatory award; A discretionary award (from an LA for a higher education-level course or programme of study); An award from a government department such as an NHS bursary; and Any other public support for tuition fees. The main points to remember are: If you have completed a course leading to an HND, a Diploma in Higher Education, or certain other two-year full-time courses of higher education, you may qualify for support for the second and any following years of a degree course; If you change course or institution after receiving tuition fees for more than one year, your entitlement to more payments will be limited. This generally works out as the duration of your present course plus one year minus year(s) of previous study. 4

7 Self-supporting students Even if your income prevented you from getting help with tuition fees for any previous HE courses, you would have benefited from public funding. Also, if you had studied at a private university or college, your course may have attracted some help from public funds, which could prevent you from receiving any more support. Are you an Independent Student? You are an independent student if you meet one of the following conditions: you have care of a child or children on the first day of the academic year for which you are applying for support; you are 25 or over before the start of the academic year for which you are applying; you have been married or entered into a civil partnership (even if the relationship has ended) before the start of the academic year for which you are applying for support. Your LA will need to see your marriage certificate or civil partnership schedule; you have no living parents, or if your parents are divorced or separated, the parent with whom you normally lived has died; you have supported yourself for at least three years before the start of the first academic year of your course/ first course if you are undertaking an end-on course. This includes any time when you: were in paid full-time employment; received Income Support or Jobseeker s Allowance or were registered for unemployment; received sickness or disability benefits or maternity allowance; or received training under any scheme for the unemployed or other funding by any state authority or agency. If you are an independent student, your parents income will not be taken into account, and your household income will be made up of only your personal income and that of your partner if you have one. It is important to note that if you were assessed as meeting independent status when applying for the Assembly Learning Grant (Further Education), it does not guarantee that you will meet the criteria for Higher Education, which are slightly different. 5

8 Other circumstances where your parents will not be expected to contribute your parents cannot be traced or it is not practical or possible to contact them; your parents live abroad and an assessment would put them in danger (this may apply if you are a refugee), or it would not be reasonably practicable for them to send any funds to the United Kingdom; you are permanently estranged from your parents (see below, Students who have no contact with their parents ) your LA will review your situation each time it assesses your application for a new academic year; you are in the care of a local authority or voluntary organisation, or you are under a custodianship order on your 18th birthday or immediately before your course if you are not 18 when it begins; or you were responsible for the care of a person under the age of 18 on the first day of the relevant year. Your household income husband, wife, civil partner or partner If you are an independent student who is 25 or over, or married or in a civil partnership or living with a partner as though they were your husband, wife or civil partner, and your husband, wife or civil partner or partner has enough residual income, the LA will take this into account. If you started your course in the 2005/06 academic year or later and are 25 or over, the LA could also take account of the income of your partner of the same sex. Residual income will be worked out in the same way as it is for household income (see page 3 to see how it is worked out). The household income threshold is also the same. Your partner s income may be included in the assessment if you are aged 25 or over on the first day of the academic year, and your course began on or after 1 September This may apply also if you are on an end-on course immediately following a course beginning on or after 1 September Again this will depend on you being 25 or over. Your LA will be able to tell you what counts as an end-on course. 6

9 Evidence you need to supply If you are claiming to be an independent student because you have supported yourself for three years or more, you must provide evidence to show how you have supported yourself. If you have been working or claiming benefits, you must provide written confirmation of this. Acceptable proof includes your P60s or letters from employers confirming the dates you worked there and your levels of earnings. For periods where you have claimed benefits, you should ask your local Jobcentre Plus office for a letter to confirm the dates you claimed benefit and the type of benefit received. If you do not provide birth or marriage certificates or evidence to prove you have supported yourself for three years, it will delay your application. If you have care of a child or young person under the age of 18, and are claiming independent status, you should send the child s original birth certificate and provide other evidence that you are caring for the child (e.g. evidence that you are receiving Child Benefit or Child Tax Credit). Students who have no contact with their parents If you want to claim independent status because you have no contact with your parents, you must provide confirmation from a professional person outside your family who knows about your circumstances. Examples of proof you could provide are: A letter from your social worker (if you have one); If you claimed Income Support when you were under 18, a letter from your local Jobcentre Plus office showing that you received benefits because of your situation; If your relationship with your parents broke down while you were at school or college, a letter from an advice worker or personal tutor or teacher, confirming your circumstances; or If you have visited your doctor because of problems relating to your broken relationship with your parents, a letter to confirm your circumstances. To qualify for independent status because of this, the lack of contact with your parents must usually be permanent. You must provide evidence to your LA explaining the circumstances which led to this. Your LA would normally expect you to have had no contact with your parents for at least 12 months, although this may not apply in exceptional circumstances. You will not be able to claim independent status just because you do not get on with your parents or because you do not live with them. You will also not be able to claim independent status simply because your parents do not want to give details of their income or refuse to provide financial support to you. 7

10 Social Security Benefits Although most full-time students are not entitled to social security benefits, certain students in vulnerable groups (including single parents, student couples with dependent children and some disabled students) may be eligible for social security benefits including Housing Benefit. If you want to take a full-time course of education, you should ask your local Jobcentre Plus office how this may affect your benefits. If you are eligible for benefits, Jobcentre Plus will take account of any income you receive through loans (and some grants) under the main student support arrangements. If you are eligible for a loan, Jobcentre Plus will take account of the money available to you whether or not you claim it. Post-graduate funding The student support system does not currently provide support for students on post-graduate courses except for initial teacher training. While there are studentships and research grants available for post-graduate courses from the research councils, the Arts and Humanities Research Board and some other charitable sources, there are no subsidised loans for post-graduates. Further information about the research councils is available from the student support team at your university or college. Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are available for certain eligible post-graduate students. Please check with your Local Authority if in doubt. Educational trusts and charities There are educational trusts and charities that make individual awards to students. You can find standard lists of these in most public libraries. Useful publications include the Educational Grants Directory, the Charities Digest, the Grants Register and the Directory of Grant Making Trusts. If no other source of funding is available, further information on financial assistance to support adult learning can be found at: or by contacting

11 Post-graduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) If you are a starting a new full-time undergraduate or post-graduate ITT course in 2012, depending on your household income, you may be eligible to receive an Assembly Learning Grant of up to 5,161 plus certain ITT incentives. More information on teacher training support You can get more information on support available for those entering initial teacher training from the Teaching Information Line on (Welsh Language speakers on ). You can also visit the Teacher Training and Education Recruitment Forum s website at: NHS bursaries for health professional courses For information of the support available to those training in the health professions, you should refer to the guidance published by the relevant authority for the country in which you are studying. For more information on careers in the NHS contact: NHS Wales Student Awards Unit Phone: Website: Or the NHS Careers Helpline Phone: Website: advice@nhscareers.nhs.uk Information for students studying in England For information about NHS bursaries in England, contact: NHS Student Bursaries Phone: Web: 9

12 Social Work The Care Council for Wales (Care Council) manages the Social Work Bursary Scheme for students studying approved undergraduate degree or Masters degree courses in social work. An additional income assessed bursary is available to students studying an approved Masters degree course in social work. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Care Council s Social Work Bursary Guidance Notes, available from the Student Funding Team, Care Council. For full details contact the Student Funding Team, Care Council: Phone: Minicom: Fax: studentfunding@ccwales.org.uk Website: If you are studying an approved undergraduate degree as a second degree, you will only be eligible for a maintenance loan. However, if you are studying a Masters degree you will not be eligible for student support. Private Providers If you are offered a place at a private institution on any Welsh Government designated fulltime course you may be entitled to a student loan up to 6,000 to help with your tuition fee. A private institution can determine its own level of tuition fee which can be higher than the 9,000 maximum fee charged by public institutions. You should contact your LA for details of how to apply for the fee loan but you will not be eligible for the new fee grant. You may also be eligible for an Assembly Learning Grant (maintenance grant) and a maintenance loan. 10

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14 Extra help for those in special circumstances This section applies to all students, regardless of when you began your studies. This section contains information about extra help available if you have children or adult dependants, if you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, or if you have to attend a university or college outside the UK as part of your course. If you have children or adult dependants There is a range of possible extra help if you have dependants, set out below. If you need further information, a guide called Childcare Grant and other support for student parents in full-time higher education in 2013/14 is also available. You can get a copy of this guide from your LA, or by phoning Student Finance Wales on The guide is also available online at: CHILDCARE GRANT NON REPAYABLE* Who s eligible? How much? How is it paid? Eligible full-time students with dependent children in registered and approved childcare. You cannot get this grant if you or your spouse or partner receives the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit from HM Revenue and Customs. You can apply for this help before or during your course. You can receive a Childcare Grant during your term times and your holidays. Jobcentre Plus and Housing Benefit departments will not count the Childcare Grant when they work out your benefit entitlement. How much help you get will depend on your circumstances (such as your income and that of your dependants, including your husband, wife or partner). For one child: Up to a week (85% of actual childcare costs of up to 190 a week). For two or more children: Up to a week (85% of actual childcare costs of up to 323 a week). The Student Loans Company will usually pay it in three instalments, one at the start of each term, with your loan and other grants. 12

15 PARENTS LEARNING ALLOWANCE NON REPAYABLE* Who s eligible? How much? How is it paid? This help for course-related costs is for eligible full-time students with one or more dependent children. Jobcentre Plus and Housing Benefit departments will not count this grant when they work out your benefit entitlement. Up to 1,557 a year. How much you get depends on your income and that of your dependants (including your husband, wife or partner). The Student Loans Company will usually pay it in three instalments with your loan. ADULT DEPENDANTS GRANT NON REPAYABLE* Who s eligible? Eligible full-time students with adult dependants. If you have a partner (including a partner of the same sex if you began your course in 2005 or after) or another adult, usually a member of your family, who depends on you financially, you may be eligible. How much? How is it paid? Up to 2,732 a year. How much you get depends on your income and that of your adult dependants. The Student Loans Company will usually pay it in three instalments with your loan. * If you leave your course of study early, you might have to repay some of the grant/ allowance paid to you. 13

16 If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty Disabled Students Allowances are available if you have a disability, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty. A brief description of this help is set out below. For more information, a guide called Bridging the Gap will answer most of the questions commonly asked about Disabled Students Allowances. You can get a copy from your LA, or by ringing Student Finance Wales on Bridging the Gap is also available on audio-tape, in Braille, and in large print. The guide is available online at: DISABLED STUDENTS ALLOWANCE (DSA) NON REPAYABLE* These allowances are to help with the extra costs you have as a result of undertaking your course and as a direct result of your disability, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty. Who s eligible? How much? Students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties, including those undertaking a course by distance-learning because they are unable to attend for a reason that relates to their disability. You can apply at any time before or during your course. How much you can get does not depend on your income or that of your family. The following help is available: A specialist equipment allowance of up to 5,332 for the whole course; A non-medical helper s allowance of up to 21,181 each year; A general disabled students allowance of up to 1,785 each year; Extra travel costs you have to pay to attend your university or college course as a result of your disability. How is it paid? Direct from your LA to you or to the supplier of the specialist equipment or services. 14

17 DISABLED STUDENTS ALLOWANCE FOR POST-GRADUATE STUDY NON REPAYABLE* Who s eligible? How much? How is it paid? Eligible full-time and part-time students with disabilities including those undertaking distance-learning courses. Courses must have an entry requirement of at least a first degree and last for at least one academic year. If the course is part-time, you must complete it in no longer than twice the time taken to complete an equivalent full-time course. If you hold an award from a Research Council or a bursary from the NHS or a Social Care Council, you are not eligible for a post-graduate DSA. Post-graduates who receive awards from universities and colleges which include support for disabilities are also not eligible for post-graduate DSAs. One allowance of up to 10,590 a year for full-time and part-time post-graduates. Post-graduate DSAs are not income assessed. Direct from your LA to you or to the supplier of the specialist equipment or services. * If you leave your course of study early, you might have to repay some of the grant/ allowance paid to you. Important note Remember that your LA must be satisfied that your disability or specific learning difficulty will mean that you have to spend more while on your course. If you are physically disabled, or have mental-health difficulties, you will need to provide medical proof of your disability, such as a letter from your doctor or an appropriate specialist; If you have a specific learning difficulty (for example, dyslexia), your LA will need evidence of this; If your diagnosis was carried out before the age of 16, you will normally be asked to undergo a top-up assessment to provide an update on your current performance in reading, writing and spelling. 15

18 If your LA is not satisfied with the evidence you provide, you may need an independent diagnosis. Your LA cannot pay for the cost of diagnosing your disability or specific learning difficulty. Ask your LA what evidence they need before you send in your DSA application. Travel Grant NON REPAYABLE A Travel Grant can help you if you have to pay extra travel costs as a result of your course. You can get a grant towards reasonable costs for travel to and from: The place in the UK where your clinical training takes place for medical and dental students; or The country you have to go to if you are studying abroad. Your LA will decide whether the costs you have to pay are reasonable. If you have to go to a university or college outside the UK for at least the majority (50%+) of any academic quarter (namely the periods January March; April June; July August; or September December) and you have to take out medical insurance, you can also get help to cover the cost of the insurance as long as it is a condition of the travel visa. Who s eligible? How much? How is it paid? Eligible full-time students, if you are attending a course in medicine or dentistry and you have to attend for clinical training at a place in the UK other than your normal place of attendance, or if you have to attend an university or college outside the UK for at least the majority (50%+) of any academic quarter (January March; April June; July August; or September December) as part of your course. The grant for travel costs is equal to the amount you reasonably have to pay less the first 303. The grant for medical insurance is equal to the amount of the premium. This help is incomeassessed. Directly to you. 16

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20 Complaints We always try to get things right first time. However, sometimes things can go wrong. A complaint is where you are not satisfied with our products or services, and you want us to solve the problem. A complaint is not an appeal against our decision on whether you are entitled to financial help. Student Finance Wales is made up of a number of organisations, each one having a specific role within the system. If you are not satisfied with the service you receive, you can make a complaint via the organisation s complaints procedure; The Local Authority Your local authority s role is to assess applications and to determine entitlement for student support for Higher Education grants and loans and to make decisions in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions. The Student Loans Company The Student Loans Company s main role is to provide operational services for the payment (and repayment) of grants and loans. You can contact them at: Complaints Resolution Unit Student Loans Company Limited 100 Bothwell Street Glasgow G2 7JD. customer_complaints@slc.co.uk You can telephone the department you last dealt with in SLC and ask for a telephone complaint to be logged. Please quote your customer reference number in all correspondence. The Welsh Government The Welsh Government s role is to determine student support policy, guidance and literature content. You can contact the Welsh Government at: Complaints Unit Welsh Government Crown Buildings Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ Phone: complaints@wales.gsi.gov.uk http: //wales.gov.uk/contact_us/complaints1/?lang=en 18

21 If you remain dissatisfied If you have been through the complaints system of the organisation concerned and you remain dissatisfied, there may be an independent review of your complaint that you can access, or you may refer your case to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) for consideration. The organisation s publicity material on their complaints system should describe this and how to get in touch with that person or organisation. If it does not, please ask them what you should do. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales investigates services provided by public bodies in Wales (for example, local authorities). If you feel that you have suffered as a result of maladministration or a service failure in relation to your Student Finance application or assessment (excluding service relating to the collection and repayment of loans) you have the right to complain directly to: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed CF35 5LJ Phone: (01656) Fax: (01656) (The PSOW usually expects a complainant to have gone through the internal procedures of the organisation(s) involved before they investigate a case.) Appeals An appeal is a formal request to review our decision on whether you are entitled to financial help. An appeal should relate to decisions or actions based on how we interpret the law or regulations (for example, on whether you are entitled to student finance or how much finance you are entitled to). In all other cases, you should follow the complaints process. Prior to registering an appeal you should make sure that you have told the organisation concerned that you are unhappy with their decision. You should also ask them for an explanation of how they have reached it. This may help to sort the problem out without the need to take it any further. If you are thinking of taking your appeal further, you should consider getting independent legal advice, for example from a solicitor, a legal advice centre, the advice centre in your university, college or student union, or a Citizens Advice Bureau. 19

22 Local Authority contact list In Wales there are 21 Local Authorities that deal with student support, where you can go for more information on student finance, application packs and useful publications. Their contact details are shown below. Isle of Anglesey Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly / taylocb@caerphilly.gov.uk Cardiff /Newport studentsupport@cardiff.gov.uk Carmarthenshire / AlyWilliams@carmarthenshire.gov.uk Ceredigion / studentfinance@ceredigion.gov.uk Conwy / dewi.w.jones@conwy.gov.uk Denbighshire student.finance@denbighshire.gov.uk cyllid.myfyrwyr@sirddinbych.gov.uk Flintshire student_finance@flintshire.gov.uk Gwynedd / RhianOwen2@gwynedd.gov.uk or EvelynWilliams@gwynedd.gov.uk Merthyr Tydfil Kelly.casey@merthyr.gov.uk Monmouthshire studentfinance@monmouthshire.gov.uk Neath Port Talbot / / Student.finance@npt.gov.uk Pembrokeshire Powys student.support@powys.gov.uk Rhondda Cynon Taff Ext awards@rctcbc.gov.uk Swansea student.support@swansea.gov.uk Torfaen student.support@torfaen.gov.uk Vale of Glamorgan studentsupport@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk Wrexham studentsupport@wrexham.gov.uk 20

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24 You can download more copies of this guide online at: You can also order this guide in braille, large print or audio by ing with your name, address, customer reference number quoting reference SFW/FSHE/ADD/V13 to: or you can telephone us on Please note: the above address and telephone number can only deal with requests for alternative formats of forms and guides. WAG16882 ISBN: