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Student Finance

Students are central to everything we do at South Staffordshire College. We understand that money matters, especially when you decide to take up a course of study. The good news is, as a student, you may be eligible for financial support, there’s a range of bursaries and loans that you may be eligible for.

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Financial Support for Learners 16-18

  • 16-18 Guaranteed Bursary

    16-18 Guaranteed Bursary

    An annual bursary of £1,200 will be paid to learners who can show evidence that they are:

    • In care or are a care leaver
    • In receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit in their own name
    • In receipt of both Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
    • Evidence must be provided via either a current benefit award letter or a letter from Social Services

     

    Learners must be:

    • Aged 16 to 18 at the time of enrolment
    • Studying on a full time Further Education course
    • Timetabled for more than 12 hours per week
    • On a course lasting a minimum of 10 weeks


    Please note:

    • Payments are made fortnightly in arrears after attendance has been checked learners who join the College, or become eligible for the bursary fund part way through the academic year will be paid £1,200 pro rata
    • All financial support is subject to satisfactory attendance (88% and above) and behaviour – only authorised absences will be paid. If you are suspended or excluded from College your payments will stop.
    • Payments are made termly by BACS transfer – Bank Account details will need to be provided.
    • It can take up to 5 weeks for applications to be assessed upon receipt of application and valid evidence. These guidelines are subject to change.
  • 16-18 Discretionary Bursary

    16-18 Discretionary Bursary

    Available to all students that satisfy the eligibility criteria to help you cover the cost of essential items for your course, e.g., kit, uniforms, books and transport to and from college.

    Eligibility criteria:

    If household income is below £20,000 you may be entitled to 100% of costs for essential kit, uniform and travel if your travel is 2.5 miles or more.

    **Travel costs will be confirmed at time of application as this will vary dependent on the campus you are attending.

    If your household income is between £20,001 and £28,000, you may be eligible for up to:

    75% of costs for essential equipment and costs for travel to college by public transport or college bus if you live over 3 miles away from your base campus. A maximum of £500.00 per academic year. The remaining 25% to be paid by the person making the application (learner)

    Please note:

    • All financial support is subject to satisfactory attendance (88% and above) and behaviour – only authorised absences will be paid. If you are suspended or excluded from College your payments will stop.
    • Payments are made termly by BACS transfer – Bank Account details will need to be provided.
    • It can take up to 5 weeks for applications to be assessed upon receipt of application and valid evidence. These guidelines are subject to change.
  • Free College Meals

    Free College Meals

    Available to all students who satisfy the residency criteria and are in receipt of, or have parents, who are in receipt of either:

    • Universal Credit
    • Income support/Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
    • The guarantee element of the State Pension Credit
    • Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
  • Care to Learn

    Care to Learn

    If you are under the age of 20, Care to Learn could pay up to £160.00 per child per week towards your Childcare and Travel costs while you are learning. Apply online for care to learn.

    You will qualify for ‘Care to Learn’ if you can answer “yes” to the following:

    • Are you under 20 years old?
    • Are you caring for your own child or children?
    • Are you a British Citizen or member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and live in England?
    • Is your childcare provision registered with OFSTED?


    Please note:

    • All financial support is subject to satisfactory attendance (88% and above) and behaviour – only authorised absences will be paid. If you are suspended or excluded from College your payments will stop.
    • Payments are made termly by BACS transfer – Bank Account details will need to be provided.
    • It can take up to 5 weeks for applications to be assessed upon receipt of application and valid evidence. These guidelines are subject to change.

Financial Support for Learners 19+

  • Advanced Learner Loans for adults

    Advanced Learner Loans for adults

    If you’re aged 19 or over and are thinking about a college course, you might qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan. It’s easy to apply for and you won’t have to pay anything back until you’re earning over £26,575 a year.

    What are Advanced Learner Loans?

    Advanced Learner Loans are to help adult learners manage the costs of further education.

    These loans cover tuition fees for a range of Level 3 to Level 6 courses including:

    • A-levels
    • General and vocational qualifications
    • Access to Higher Education diplomas.


    How much can I get?

    The amount of tuition fee support you’re eligible for depends on:

    • The course you want to study
    • The fees charged by your college or training provider
    • Maximum limits for your loan, which depend on the type of course.

    The minimum loan you can take out is £300. The Student Loans Company pay your loan directly to your college throughout your study.

    Number of loans you can get

    You can apply for up to four loans. There are no restrictions due to your previous level of attainment, but you can only receive one loan for an Access to Higher Education diploma or a programme of A-levels.

    Can I apply for an Advanced Learner Loan?

    Getting a loan doesn’t depend on your income and is not subject to credit checks, but there are certain criteria you must meet to be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan.

    • You must be at an approved college in England.
    • You should be aged 19 or older on the first day of your approved course.
    • You must currently live in the UK and have been living in the UK three years before starting your course.
    • You must be a UK citizen or have a ‘settled status’. This means there are no limits on how long you can stay in the UK.
    • You are enrolled on an eligible Level 3 to 6 qualification. Ask your college or training provider to find out whether your qualification is eligible.
    • You can only apply before or during your course, you cannot apply after you leave or finish the course.

    Please note, you may also qualify if you aren’t a resident in the UK but are a serving member of the UK armed forces or their spouse, civil partner or a dependent parent living with them. Please speak to a member of the Learner Services HUB team.

    How will I pay back the loan?

    You don’t have to pay any of your loan back until you’ve started earning over £26,575 a year.

    If you leave or change course after two weeks or more, you’ll have to pay back any money that was paid to your college.

    You can choose to pay off some or all of your loan at any given time with no extra charge.

    Any outstanding balance is automatically written off 30 years after your scheduled qualification end date.

    Example of repayment amounts

    Payments will depend on the amount you earn over the repayment threshold during any given pay period, not the amount that you’ve borrowed.

    Your pay period depends on when you receive your salary. This could be every week, every four weeks or a calendar month. Payments will stop if you earn below the repayment threshold for that pay period.

    Repayments are set at 9% of your income above the minimum of £26,575 a year, £2,214 a month or £511 a week.

    Interest on your repayments

    You’ll be charged interest at the Retail Price Index (RPI) + 3% while you complete your course and until the following April after leaving your course.

    After that interest is linked to your earnings.

    So, if you earn:

    • Less than £26,575, the interest is set at the RPI
    • £26,575 to £47,835, the interest is set at RPI + up to 3% on a sliding scale
    • Over £47,835, the interest is set at RPI + 3%.
  • 19+ Bursary Support

    19+ Bursary Support

    If you are 19 or over you may be eligible for support through the 19+ Bursary Support to help you cover the cost of essential items for your course, e.g., kit, uniforms, travel or childcare.

    Eligibility criteria for 19+ Bursary Support:

    If your household income is £25,000 or less, you may be eligible for up to:

    • 100% of costs for essential equipment
    • 100% of costs for travel to college by public transport or college bus (£600 max) if you live over 2.5 miles away from your base campus.
    • If you travel on a College bus, the college will pay the full cost of your travel.
    • 100% of Childcare costs (up to a max of £160 per week per child)
    • £100 per term meal contribution

    If your household income is between £25,001 and £32,000, you may be eligible for up to:

    • 75% of costs for essential equipment
    • 75% of costs for travel to college by public transport or college bus if you live over 2.5 miles away from your base campus. If you travel on a College bus, the college will pay the 75% of your travel costs (£500.00)
    • 100% of Childcare costs (up to a max of £160 per week per child)
    • £100 per term meal contribution
  • Care to Learn

    Care to Learn

    If you are under the age of 20 Care to Learn could pay up to £160.00 per child per week towards your Childcare and Travel costs while you are learning. Apply online for Care to Learn.

    You will qualify for ‘Care to Learn’ if you can answer “yes” to the following:

    • Are you under 20 years old?
    • Are you caring for your own child or children?
    • Are you a British Citizen or member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and live in England?
    • Is your childcare provision registered with OFSTED?

    Please note:

    • All financial support is subject to satisfactory attendance (88% and above) and behaviour – only authorised absences will be paid. If you are suspended or excluded from College your payments will stop.
    • Payments are made termly by BACS transfer – Bank Account details will need to be provided.
    • It can take up to 5 weeks for applications to be assessed upon receipt of application and valid evidence. These guidelines are subject to change.
  • Higher Education Student Finance

    Higher Education Student Finance

    You may be able to borrow money to help pay for university or college tuition fees and to help with living costs.

    You might get extra money on top of this, for example if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children.

    If you’re under 25 and have no contact with your parents, you might be able to apply as an estranged student.

    How do I apply?

    Most full-time and part-time students can apply online through Student Finance England:

    • Set up a student finance online account – https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
    • Log in and complete the online application.
    • Include your household income, if needed. Your parent or partner will be asked to confirm these details.
    • Send in proof of identity, if needed.
    • You will be able to use the student finance calculator to estimate your maintenance loan payment


    Eligibility

    Whether you qualify for student finance depends on:

    •  Your university or college
    •  Your course
    •  If you’ve studied a higher education course before
    •  Your age
    •  Your nationality or residency status

    Your University or College needs to be one that offers a qualifying course. Check with your University or College that your course is recognised.

    If you’re studying full-time

    You may be eligible for student finance if your course is in the UK and one of the following:

    •  A first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd
    •  A Foundation Degree
    •  A Certificate of Higher Education
    •  A Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
    •  A Higher National Certificate (HNC)
    •  A Higher National Diploma (HND)
    •  An Initial Teacher Training course
    •  An integrated master’s degree
    •  A pre-registration postgraduate healthcare course


    New full-time students

    You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan if your course starts on or after 1 August 2016.

    Tuition Fee Loan

    Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan is paid directly to them. You have to pay it back.

    Full-time student  2020 to 2021 academic year 

     

    Full-time  Up to £9,250 

     

     

     

     

     

    If you’re studying an accelerated degree course, you could get up to £11,100.

    Maintenance Loan for living costs

    You may have to give details of your household. The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term. You have to pay the loan back.

    Full-time student  2020 to 2021 academic year 

     

    Living at home  Up to £7,747 

     

    Living away from home, outside London  Up to £9,203 

     

    Living away from home, in London  Up to £12,010 

     

    You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad  Up to £10,539 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    You must tell Student Finance England through your online account if your living arrangements change to get the correct amount of student finance. You might be asked to provide evidence.

    If you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course you can apply for up to £3,893.

    For further information visit student finance or email a member of our careers team.

  • Armed Forces Discount

    Armed Forces Discount

    If you are a current reservist, veteran or volunteer with the cadet forces and want to enrol on one of our courses, we will offer a 25% discount on any full-cost course until July 2023.

     

All learners should have now received a link via email to apply for Financial Support. If you have not received a Financial Support email, please contact our Bursaries team on bursary.enquiries@southstaffs.ac.uk