Student Funding 2018 Money & Welfare

Who are we and what do we do? Supporting students Budget management Keele University Hardship Fund Supporting students with debt Proactive Campaigning Educating and Informing students National Student Money Week We run campaigns throughout the year as it is our responsibility to help to educate and inform our students how they could save money and budget. Students can then take this knowledge and use it throughout their degree.

Student Finance 2018/19 This talk applies mainly to English students who are hoping to attend an English University commencing in September 2018. This video is something we have put together as an introduction to student finance. From 2017/18 onwards there will no longer be NHS Bursary funding for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional courses, including Physiotherapy, you will apply to Student Finance for your loan in the same way as other students.

Student Finance Government support A Tuition Fee Loan is available to cover the full cost of fees - non means tested The Tuition Fee Loan gets paid directly to the university The Maintenance Loan (means tested) gets paid to your bank account over 3 instalments You need to apply for student finance every year

A bit more about living costs… Your living costs include: - accommodation, food, travel, entertainment, bills (phone, insurance, TV licence), launderette costs, toiletries etc Your living costs may vary depending on your circumstances – e.g. if you live at home you may not have to pay rent. Generally, we would say to a single student living in rented accommodation that you would need about £70 - £80 a week for living costs on top of your rent. NHS students: www.nhsbsa.uk Your living costs could include some or all of the above costs, depending on your personal circumstances; a student living at home with family and commuting in to university every day may not be paying for their accommodation but they may have to run a car or buy a bus pass every month. If you are living away from home, you may find that your accommodation costs are your largest expense. If you have children, childcare may be part of your weekly costs. Generally, we would say to a single student living in rented accommodation that you would need about £70 - £80 a week for living costs on top of your rent.

How much Maintenance Loan can I get? 2017/18 figures* Income (£) Assessed Contribution (£) Loan for living costs (£) Student studying outside of London Maximum £8,430 25,000 8,430 30,000 7,825 35,000 7,220 40,000 6,615 42,875 6,266 45,000 257 6,009 50,000 862 5,404 55,000 1,467 4,799 60,000 2,073 4,193 65,000 and over 2,338 3,928 This table shows the breakdown of household income in relation to the maintenance loan available for students living away from home, outside of London. The government make an assumption that those with higher household incomes will make a contribution.

How much Maintenance Loan can I get? 2017/18 figures* Income (£) Assessed Contribution (£) Loan for living costs (£) Student living at home Maximum £7,097 25,000 7,097 30,000 6,499 35,000 5,901 40,000 5,303 42,875 4,959 45,000 254 4,705 50,000 852 4,107 55,000 1,450 3,509 58,201 and higher 1,835 3,124 This table shows the breakdown of household income in relation to the maintenance loan available for students living at home while they study. The maximum loan available is just over £1000 less per year than those living away from home. The government make an assumption that those with higher household incomes will make a contribution.

What other Governmental Support is there? Childcare Grant Parental Learning Allowance Adult Dependants’ Grant Disabled Students’ Allowance Bursary/grants for Looked After Children First three are means-tested and you apply to Student Finance England for them at the same time that you apply for your loans. The childcare grant pays for up to 85% of registered childcare. DSA is available for students currently in receipt of DLA (Disability Living Allowance) and may also be claimed by students with additional support needs even if they don’t get DLA at the moment. Students can contact our disability support team for information. Local authorities have to give care leavers a minimum amount in financial support; contact your social worker for further information. Keele provides financial and other support to students who have been in care; contact our Care Leavers’ link worker, for further information. Contact details are on our webpages.

Applying for funding www.gov.uk/studentfinance Applications are online. You apply for the tuition fee loan and maintenance loan all on one application form. Don’t put off applying for funding until you have chosen which university you will be going to; you can change university any time up to the day you start your course so long as you let SFE know. You are “dependant” until you are 21 or 25. You should be able to apply for your Student Finance from about end of January 2018. If you are between 21 and 25 and can prove that you have lived independently of your parents or guardians for three years consecutively, you could be considered to be independent for the purposes of means-testing, which means that only your income and that of any partner you live with, will be taken into account when assessing you for loans.

Repaying your student finance Repayment is based on earnings not the amount borrowed. Repayment Plan 2 The earliest you’ll start repaying is the April after you leave your course. You’ll only start repaying your loan if your annual income is over £21,000. You stop paying if your income drops below this amount. After 30 years any outstanding amount is written off. Your income per year Monthly repayments £21,000 and under £0 £25,000 £30 £30,000 £67 £50,000 £217

Keele Scholarships and Bursaries

The Keele Excellence Scholarship Some students who attain a minimum of three “A” grades at A level, or equivalent, will receive a £1,000 a year Excellence Scholarship in year 1. No application needed. Not income-based There are exceptions; the Scholarships are not available to students taking medicine, on a foundation year or some students with a mix of qualifications. Full details and a list of other qualifications that will be accepted for this award are available at our information desk and from our webpages. Payment is made in two instalments - end of January and early May

The Keele University Bursary £1,000 per year (subject to T&C’s) If your government (e.g. Welsh Assembly) is meeting some of the cost of your tuition fee via a non-repayable, non means-tested grant, you will not receive the Keele Bursary. Have a household income of £20,000 or below as verified by Student Finance. No application is required. Payment is normally at the end of February. You can have the Excellence Scholarship AND the Keele University Bursary together.

Other Bursaries The Study Abroad Bursary of £1,000 a year is advertised during the first year. Application is required. Care Leavers and Estranged Students Bursary Other funding opportunities are publicised on our webpages – keep checking for news at http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding/ Here at Keele we offer a specific cash bursary for Care Leavers and those students estranged from their families. If you have been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, and were in care on your 16th birthday you will receive £1000 per academic year (Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught study) and a £500 Graduation Award. We are committed to supporting a diverse community here at Keele with a range of bursaries available. These won’t relate to everyone but it is important to those people who are applicable. The key thing here is to check out our webpages and contact us should you have any queries.

Web pages www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding Screen shot of our Bursaries and Scholarship webpage for 2018. www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding

Further Sources of Support Part-time work (evenings, weekends, holidays) Your family Benefits (depending on your status) check with the Benefits Agency if you receive benefits now Your bank (savings, overdrafts etc) Many of our students find a job on site either as ambassadors or in one of our many catering outlets or bars. We also have a jobshop in the Student Union. Family: We would never make assumptions, but many of our students seek support (whether that be monetary or pastoral) from their family.

The Student Room The student room is an official website for students. It contains all the resources you will need and also links to the relevant student finance bodies to make your applications to. This is a short video to explain more.

Useful links To apply for government funding: www.gov.uk/studentfinance For Student Finance information: www.thestudentroom.co.uk Useful website with information about the current student funding system and money saving tips and offers: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/student-loans-tuition-fees-changes Save the student www.savethestudent.org For Health and Social Work courses: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk For Welsh students: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

Thank you! student.services@keele.ac.uk www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding

Money & Welfare Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG