Fees and Financial Assistance 2015-16

Fees and Financial Assistance 2015-16

Photography Cover: Graham Burke Inside cover: John Pridmore Back cover: Bertil Nilsson What does it mean to be a Conservatoire student? By becoming a student of one of the Conservatoire s schools, you will not only be part of your school, but also part of a world-class Conservatoire of schools. Collectively, the eight specialist and internationally renowned schools listed opposite form one unique higher education institution: the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. Conservatoire Schools Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Central School of Ballet Contents What does it mean to be a Conservatoire student? Fees and finance in 2015 Government grants and loans 3 4 5 This means that you will benefit from the same Government financial support given to of all publicly-funded higher education institutions and universities in England, as well as obtaining a higher education qualification. Students at Conservatoire schools benefit from the collaborative dialogue between affiliate schools which share good practice, knowledge and resources, all to get the very best out of this unique relationship and structure. In practice, this means that as a student you might have the opportunity to collaborate with people from the other Conservatoire schools, as well as working with professional artists across different art forms. LAMDA London Contemporary Dance School National Centre for Circus Arts Northern School of Contemporary Dance Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance Royal Academy of Dramatic Art This leaflet explains the Conservatoire s course fees for 2015/16 and outlines the forms of financial support available, including who is eligible and how to apply. Conservatoire for Dance and Drama Tavistock House, Tavistock Square London WC1H 9JJ 020 7387 5101 www.cdd.ac.uk facebook.com/conservatoiredd twitter.com/conservatoiredd youtube.com/theconservatoire How to apply for Student Finance s Alternative sources of funding Financial assistance summary 7 8 10 10 11 The Conservatoire schools focus is on developing you as a professional artist, ensuring that you can join the ranks of performers, choreographers, theatre technicians, directors, designers and artists who, we hope, will shape the future of dance, drama and circus arts. Please note that this leaflet is accurate at the time of production. However, should visit the Conservatoire s website: www.cdd.ac.uk/student-info for regular updates about fees and finance. 3

Fees and finance in 2015-16 Changes to Government funding As a result of recent changes in Government funding to higher education, the Conservatoire has faced a considerable reduction in its teaching grant since 2012. In order to continue to offer the world-class level of training and facilities for which our schools are renowned, we are charging new 9,000 per year for all undergraduate programmes. The Conservatoire will continue to subsidise the full cost of its vocational programmes. We have also put in place an extensive financial support package to ensure that we continue to admit the most talented, irrespective of background. This leaflet explains what these changes will mean for you as a prospective student and the different sources of support which are available to you. If you are new to higher education, remember you will not have to pay anything up front. If this is your second degree, you may be entitled to support from the Conservatoire or from the individual schools. Your financial status will not affect how we view your application. Tuition fees The table below shows the fees the Conservatoire will charge for courses starting in September 2015: New UK undergraduate 9,000 New EU undergraduate 9,000 UK/EU second degree undergraduate 9,000 Island 9,000 UK/EU postgraduate minimum 5,825* Overseas undergraduate 17,200 Overseas postgraduate minimum 17,200* (3-term course) *The Conservatoire sets a minimum fee for its postgraduate courses. Please contact the relevant school for details about tuition fees for the course you are interested in. The Conservatoire does not currently offer financial assistance for postgraduate courses, but the individual schools may offer certain support schemes. 4 Government grants and loans UK If you are an English domiciled student (i.e. you are usually resident in England) and this is your first degree, you can apply for financial support from Student Finance England. If you are domiciled in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, you can apply online for financial support through Student Finance Northern Ireland, Student Finance Wales, or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. You can apply for: A tuition fee loan A maintenance loan (to help with living costs) An income-assessed maintenance grant (you don t have to pay this back) Remember you will need to reapply for each year of your training. Tuition fee loan If you are a UK student new to higher education you can apply for a tuition fee loan to cover the full cost of your fees. You do not have to pay anything upfront. Maintenance loan All new UK can apply for a basic maintenance loan to help with living costs such as food, travel and accommodation, no matter what their household income. The table below shows what you may be entitled to: Living at home Up to 4,565 Living away from home - outside London Up to 5,740 Living away from home - in London Up to 8,009 Maintenance grant Students with a household income of up to 42,620 can receive a nonrepayable maintenance grant in addition to a maintenance loan. Students with a household income of 25,000 or less can receive the full grant of 3,387 per year of study. Students with a household income of between 25,001 and 42,620 can receive a partial grant of between 3,387 and 50. Maintenance grants and loans are paid in three instalments at the start of each term, after you have registered with your school and the Conservatoire. 5

How do loan repayments work? How to apply for student finance If you take out a tuition fee loan and/or a maintenance loan from Student Finance England (or its equivalent), you will not have to repay anything until after you have graduated and are earning a minimum salary. Key facts about repayments: You won t repay anything until you are earning 21,000 Monthly repayments are lower than they are for on the old system You will only repay 9% of what you earn above 21,000, i.e. if you earn 25,000, you will repay 9% of 4,000, which works out as 30 per month Monthly repayments are the same, whether fees are 6,000 or 9,000 - your cash flow after university is not affected by your choice of course If you never earn over 21,000 you will never pay anything back After 30 years, the debt is written off Student loans are not recorded on your credit rating file, i.e. this should not impact on your ability to get a mortgage. The table below gives examples of what your repayments might look like: Earnings Monthly repayment Annual repayment 15,000 Nothing Nothing 21,000 Nothing Nothing 22,000 7.50 90 25,000 30 360 30,000 67.50 810 40,000 142.50 1,710 50,000 217.50 2,610 The Money-Saving Expert website has a very useful summary of how student loans work: English domiciled To apply for financial support, visit the Student Finance section of the Gov UK website: www.gov.uk/student-finance Students from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales If you are a student domiciled in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales you can apply for financial support from Student Finance Northern Ireland, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, or Student Finance Wales. Students from Northern Ireland: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk Students from Scotland: www.saas.gov.uk Students from Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk Students from the EU If you are an EU student intending to study in the UK, you can apply for a tuition fee loan which you repay after graduating. To apply, you will need to download an application pack from the Student Finance pages on the Gov UK website. Continuing who have received finance in their previous year will be sent application forms to confirm they require finance for the continuing year. For more information and to apply, visit: www.gov.uk/apply-for-student-finance www.moneysavingexpert.com//student-loans-tuition-fees-changes 6 7

s The Conservatoire offers a range of scholarships in the form of bursaries and fee discounts. Scholarship Who is eligible How it is allocated How to apply What it s worth Bursary or Fee discount Number available Income Assessed Scholarships Bracket 1 UK and EU undergraduate who are new to HE Household income 25,000 or less Income assessment through Student Finance or through the Conservatoire 1,500 per year for the first two years of training Choice of fee discount or cash bursary All eligible Income Assessed Scholarships Bracket 2 UK and EU undergraduate who are new to HE Household income 25,001-42,620 Income assessment through Student Finance or through the Conservatoire Up to 1,500 per year for the first two years of training Choice of fee discount or cash bursary All eligible Talent and need based Scholarships All UK/EU on all undergraduate programmes Awarded on basis of talent and need Income assessment and/or audition/interview A maximum of 4,000 per year for each year of training* Choice of fee discount or cash bursary Discretionary Care Leaver and Estranged Students Bursary Meets definition of a care leaver or estranged student (www.cdd.ac.uk/studentinfo/care-leaver-support) Awarded to all eligible Self-identify as a care leaver or estranged student on the application form and/or on the enrolment form when you start your course Bursary of 1,000 per year for each year of training Cash bursary All eligible * Students in receipt of an Income Assessed Scholarship may also be eligible for additional support in their first, second and third years of training. The maximum Scholarship you can receive is usually 4,000 per year of training. 8 9

The affiliate schools may offer their own bursary schemes and support in addition to the Scholarships offered by the Conservatoire. Please visit the individual school websites for more information (see back page). Alternative sources of funding If you are not eligible for a tuition fee loan or maintenance loan from Student Finance England, you may wish to look into alternative sources of funding to help you finance your training. Some useful organisations are listed below. Financial assistance summary The table below is a quick way to identify what support you may be entitled to. Status New undergraduate English student May be eligible for Government support through Student Finance England: Tuition fee loan Maintenance loan Income-assessed maintenance grant Source Website Description Access to Learning Fund www.gov.uk/access-tolearning-fund A hardship fund for experiencing financial difficulty. You can only apply for this after you have started your course New undergraduate student from Northern Ireland / Scotland / Wales Government support through Student Finance NI / SAAS / Student Finance Wales: Tuition fee loan Maintenance loan Income-assessed maintenance grant Professional and Career Development Loans Grants for Individuals www.gov.uk/careerdevelopment-loans www.grantsforindividuals. org.uk If you already have a degree, you can apply for a Career and Professional Development bank loan which you repay once you have finished studying A directory of organisations which offer grants New undergraduate EU student Second degree undergraduate UK/EU student Tuition fee loan through Student Finance Alternative funding e.g. Professional and Career Development Loan Turn To Us www.turn2us.org.uk A directory of organisations which offer grants UK/EU postgraduate student Access to Learning Fund (ALF) Alternative funding For more useful links and the latest information about fees and financial assistance for 2015, please visit our website: www.cdd.ac.uk/student-info and www.gov.uk/student-finance Overseas student (all courses) Alternative funding 10 11

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School www.oldvic.ac.uk Central School of Ballet www.centralschoolofballet.co.uk LAMDA www.lamda.org.uk London Contemporary Dance School www.lcds.ac.uk National Centre for Circus Arts www.nationalcircus.org.uk Northern School of Contemporary Dance www.nscd.ac.uk Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance www.rambertschool.org.uk Royal Academy of Dramatic Art www.rada.ac.uk