1. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19
A PRACTITIONER’S INTRODUCTION

2. SESSION CONTENTS • The student finance package Additional support
• Part-time package
NHS courses
Student loan repayment
Application information
Resources
All content appearing in the following slides is subject to 2018/19 policy approval by the National Assembly for Wales.

3. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2018/19

4. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE
SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS INCLUDES:
Scholarships & bursaries
Tuition fee support
Maintenance (living cost) support
Additional support
The
Student finance
package
The financial support package for students will change in 2018/19 following an independent review on higher education funding and student finance. You can find out more and keep up to date with the latest information by visiting
All content appearing in the following slides is subject to 2018/19 policy approval by the National Assembly for Wales.

5. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2018/19
TUITION FEES

6. TUITION FEES TUITION FEES
OVERVIEW
TUITION FEES
OVERVIEW
The maximum tuition fee students can be charged is £9,000 in Wales, and £9,250 in the rest of the UK.
The tuition fee will be decided by the university or college. They could charge different amounts for different courses.
Universities and colleges in England with an Access Agreement from the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) that meet the expectations of the Teaching Excellence Framework will be able to charge up to £9,250 a year for a full-time course. All universities in Wales and those in England who don’t meet these requirements will be able to charge up to £9,000 a year for a full-time course. **

7. TUITION FEES TUITION FEE SUPPORT
A Tuition Fee Loan is available to cover the full cost of their tuition fees.
How much Tuition Fee Loan they can get doesn’t depend on their household income.
We pay it directly to the university or college once the student has registered.
Tuition Fee Loans have to be paid back, but only when they’ve left university or college and their income is over £21,000 a year. This is expected to change to £25,000 a year from April 2018*.
Students at private universities or colleges can borrow up to £6,165 towards** tuition costs, but only if the course has been approved for funding by the Welsh Government.
*Changes to the repayment threshold are subject to approval by the National Assembly for Wales.
**Students will have to self-fund any additional fee charged at a private university or college.

8. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2018/19
MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

9. SUPPORT FOR LIVING COSTS
Support is available to help towards living costs they’ll have while at university or college and all eligible students will receive the same amount of money to live off while studying.
This will be the equivalent to the National Living Wage.
Two types of support are available – Maintenance Loan and Welsh Government Learning Grant.
The amount of loan available to them depends on where they live (e.g. with
parents, in London etc) and study.
Support for living costs are paid directly to their bank account each term.
The amount of loan payable is dependent on the amount of grant for living costs received.

10. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT
WELSH GOVERNMENT LEARNING GRANT
A minimum grant of £1,000 for all eligible students.
Any additional grant will be based on their household income.
Students from households with an income of up to £18,370 will be entitled to the maximum of £8,100*.
Students from households with an income of up to £59,200 will be entitled to a partial grant.
*Based on them living away from home outside of London.

11. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT £9,000 £7,650 £11,250 £18,370 or less £20,000
Income
Living away from home, outside of London
Living with parents
Living away from home, studying in London
Grant
Loan
Total
£18,370 or less
£8,100
£900
£9,000
£6,885
£765
£7,650
£10,124
£1,126
£11,250
£20,000
£7,817
£1,183
£6,651
£999
£9,760
£1,490
£25,000
£6,947
£2,053
£5,930
£1,720
£8,643
£2,607
£30,000
£6,078
£2,922
£5,209
£2,441
£7,526
£3,724
£35,000
£5,208
£3,792
£4,488
£3,162
£6,408
£4,842
£40,000
£4,339
£4,661
£3,767
£3,883
£5,291
£5,959
£45,000
£3,469
£5,531
£3,047
£4,603
£4,174
£7,076
£50,000
£2,600
£6,400
£2,326
£5,324
£3,056
£8,194
£55,000
£1,730
£7,270
£1,605
£6,045
£1,939
£9,311
£59,200 or over
£1,000
£8,000
£6,650
£10,250
If their household income is less than £59,200, parent(s) or partners should provide details of their household income to ensure the student gets the full amount they’re entitled too. If their household income is over £59,200 providing these details will not increase the amount of student finance the student gets.

12. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

13. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OVERVIEW
Extra money or support may be available to students if they:
have children or adults dependent on them, or
have a disability, including a long-term health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty

14. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES (DSAs)
Help towards the additional costs that a student may face as a result of their disability, including a long-term health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty.
DSAs support:
is available in addition to the standard student finance package,
doesn’t have to be repaid,
is not affected by household income, and
looks at the specific needs of the individual in relation to their disability and how it affects their studies.

15. Part-time maximum support Full-time maximum support
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES (DSA)
DSA rates 2018/19
Allowance
Part-time maximum support
Full-time maximum support
Frequency of payment
Non-medical personal helper
£15,885
£21,181
Annual
Specialist equipment
£5,332
Duration of course
Other disability-related costs
£1,338
£1,785
Disability-related travel
Reasonable spending can be claimed

16. ! THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE STUDENTS WITH DEPENDANTS Childcare Grant
Based on 85% of actual registered/approved childcare costs, up to a maximum of:
£ per week for one child £ per week for two or more children
If no childcare provider details are provided a maximum cap of £115 p/w will apply to the
first payment.
Parents’ Learning Allowance
Helps with course-related costs for students with dependent children.
Amount received will be between £50 and £1,557.
Adult Dependants’ Grant
For students with a partner or another adult who is financially dependent
on them (cannot be an adult child). Maximum grant is £2,732.
The amount of Childcare Grant payable will be based on 85% of actual childcare costs, subject to a maximum grant of £ per week for one child only or £ per week for two or more children.
Where a childcare provider has not been identified, the amount of Childcare Grant payable will be based on 85% of actual childcare costs, subject to a maximum grant of £115 per week. This lower rate payment will be made until details of the childcare provider have been submitted but subject to a maximum of one academic quarter (usually a term). A reassessment will be carried out once provider details are received.
Adult Dependants’ Grant - where the student does not have a partner within the meaning of the regulations, a student may be eligible for this grant in respect of one adult dependant whose net income does not exceed £3,923. !
Dependants’ Grants are income related. Universities may offer
additional support to students with childcare/caring responsibilities.

17. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES

18. ! SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES
Extra help is available for many students from universities.
Each university has its own scheme – students need to research these.
Students are more likely to get help if:
their family has a low income
they are the first person in their family to go to university
they study a particular subject (depending on university)
they get good grades at school/college
they study locally !
Students should check university websites and ask at open days
and UCAS conventions for information on scholarships and bursaries: what is available and how/when to apply.

19. PART-TIME SUPPORT

20. WELSH PART-TIME SUPPORT PACKAGE – TUITION FEES
New eligible students who start a part-time course on or after 1 August 2018 at a university or college in Wales can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £2,625, whether they’re at publicly-funded or privately-funded university or college.
New eligible students who start a part-time course on or after 1 August 2018 at a publicly-funded university/college elsewhere in the UK can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £6,935.
Or if they’re attending a private university/college elsewhere in the UK, they can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £4,625 (but they’ll have to pay any fees over this themselves).
Students studying part-time courses at a university or college in England can borrow up to £6,935.

21. WELSH PART-TIME SUPPORT PACKAGE – LIVING COSTS
New eligible Welsh students who start a part-time course on or after 1 August 2018 can apply for loans and grants of up to £4,
If appropriate, they can also get part-time Dependants’ Grants and part-time DSAs, depending on their intensity of study.
EU students can only get a Tuition Fee Loan. They can’t get any help with living costs, Dependants’ Grants or DSAs.

22. NHS COURSES

23. NHS COURSES FUNDING Eligible courses
Students must be accepted for an NHS-funded place on a full or part-time course in Wales which leads to professional registration as a:
doctor or dentist (they will be eligible for an NHS bursary after the fourth year of their course)
chiropodist (including podiatrist), dietitian, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, radiographer, healthcare scientist, paramedic, speech and language therapist
dental hygienist or dental therapist
nurse or midwife

24. OTHER COURSES NHS COURSES NHS support
Students studying on eligible courses who agree to work in Wales for two years after they graduate may be able to get a bursary from the NHS. A bursary is a
yearly payment to help with living costs and tuition fees. It’s paid each month
and doesn’t have to be paid back.
More detailed information is available at
Full-time students on NHS degrees can also apply for a fixed grant of £1,000 per year.
SFW support
Full-time NHS students can also apply to Student Finance Wales for a reduced rate Maintenance Loan which does not depend on income.

25. OTHER COURSES
NHS COURSES AT UNIVERSITIES IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND
From 2017/18, students studying nursing, midwifery or any other allied health profession course at a university or college in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland (or students studying in Wales who haven’t opted for an NHS bursary) won’t be able to apply for funding from the NHS.
Students will be able to apply to Student Finance Wales for help with their living costs and tuition fees in the same way as students on other courses.
Exceptions:
Students studying medicine, dentistry (from the 4th year of an undergraduate course and graduate entry) dental therapy, dental hygiene or to be a paramedic may still be able to get an NHS bursary if they’re studying in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

26. STUDENT LOAN
REPAYMENT

27. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
OVERVIEW
Repayment contributions will not be made until students have finished their course and their income is over £25,000 a year. This is expected to change to £25,000 a year from April 2018.
Full-time students will be due to repay in the April after finishing or leaving their course.
Part-time students will be due to repay in the April four years after the start of their course or the April after they finish their course, whichever comes first.
Repayments will be 9% of income over £21,000 (or £25,000 from April 2018) and will be deducted automatically from pay through the HMRC tax system for most students.
If income falls to £21,000 (or £25,000 from April 2018) or below repayments will stop.
Changes to the repayment threshold are subject to approval by the National Assembly for Wales.
STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT

28. Income each year before tax Approximate monthly repayment
STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
THE FIGURES – April 2018
Income each year before tax
Monthly salary
Approximate monthly repayment
£25,000
£2,083 £0
£27,000
£2,250
£15
£30,000
£2,500
£38
£32,500
£2,708
£57
£35,000
£2,916
£75
£40,000
£3,333
£113 !
Any outstanding loan balance will be cancelled 30 years after
entering repayment.

29. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
INTEREST RATES
There will be a variation in the interest rate attached to a student’s loan during study and when earning following graduation:
During study until
entering repayment
Interest rate is:
Retail Price Index (RPI) plus3%
Earnings:
Below £25,000
RPI Only
Earnings Between:
£25,000 - £45,000
RPI plus up to 3%
Above £45,000
Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3%
Current basic RPI rate in force from 1st September to 31st August is 0.9%

30. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT

31. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
PARTIAL CANCELLATION OF LOANS
Eligibility will be automatic once the student starts repaying their student loan, either voluntarily or when they are required to do so.
Partial cancellation of up to £1,500.
The amount of partial cancellation received will depend on how much Maintenance Loan they have borrowed and their outstanding balance, for example:
- If they have a Maintenance Loan of £300 and the amount of their first repayment is £10, they will receive a partial cancellation of £290.
- If they have a Maintenance Loan of £3,000 and the amount of their first repayment is £50, they will receive a partial cancellation of £1,500.
Students are only entitled to receive a partial cancellation once. Therefore, if they received a partial cancellation in 2013/14 they will not be entitled to another cancellation in any subsequent academic year.

32. APPLICATION INFORMATION

33. APPLICATION INFORMATION
KEY MESSAGES
Apply online at as soon as possible once the application opens to make sure student finance is in place for the start of their course.
Register on UCAS and we can let students know when it’s time to apply.
They do not need a confirmed place at university or college to apply.
They should make a note of their account login details and keep them safe.
Agree to share information from their application - this helps apply
for many bursaries and some scholarships.
Students will be assessed for non income-assessed support if there are
any delays in receiving household income information.
APPLICATION INFORMATION

34. APPLICATION INFORMATION
COMPLETING AN APPLICATION
Before starting an application, students should have the following to hand:
• passport - SFW can check identity using valid UK passport details
• university and course details
bank account details and National Insurance number
After they’ve submitted their application, they should:
print, sign and return their online declaration
send any evidence they’ve been asked for
If parents or other sponsors will be supporting a student’s application, they
will need their own account on to provide
Information including:
• National Insurance number(s)
Household income information
Details of other child dependants
If sponsors can’t submit income details online, they can complete a paper form.

35. APPLICATION INFORMATION

36. SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR THE LATEST SFW NEWS
/SFWales
/SF_Wales
/SFWFILM

37. A PARENTS’ GUIDE TO STUDENT FINANCE
Our new film series explains everything parents need to know to support their child’s application. Encourage them to watch it at

38. APPLICATION INFORMATION
EVIDENCE AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME

39. STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS
IDENTITY EVIDENCE
STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS
IDENTITY EVIDENCE
SFW require all students to provide identity evidence in order for their
application to progress. The following list details acceptable identification (ID)
evidence:
UK students – identity evidence
Students confirm identity by providing valid passport details in their
online application.
If they haven't included passport details in their online application they will
need to send one of the following:
a completed UK Passport Details Form (if holding a valid passport)
original UK birth or adoption certificate along with a countersigned
Birth/Adoption Certificate Form (ADIF)
The easiest way for a student to prove their identity is to give us their valid UK passport number online, when they apply. We can then check and confirm their identity without them having to actually send us their passport. If a student doesn’t have a valid UK passport they’ll need to send us their original birth or adoption certificate, along with a Birth/Adoption Certificate Declaration Form.
This is available from
If the student is a non-UK passport holder, they’ll need to send us their valid non-UK passport and any original supporting letters from the UK Border Agency explaining the student’s residency status. These must be original documents, not photocopies. We’ll return them once we’ve confirmed their identity and checked they’re eligible.

40. STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS
IDENTITY EVIDENCE – NON UK STUDENTS
SFW require one of the following documents to be sent as proof of identity:
EU National Identity Card (must be in date)
original non-UK passport (must be in date)
Biometric Residence Permit cards
Non-UK students may also need to submit the following evidence:
original Home Office documents – to prove refugee status or leave to enter or remain status
photocopies of P60, Contract of Employment, Tax Returns or a P45 – to prove European Economic Area (EEA) or UK work details
a letter confirming addresses for the last three years prior to the start of their course – to confirm residency details
Residence Permit cards are now issued by the Home Office to replace the Immigration Status Document (ISD) and confirms identity and residency status. If you are unable to provide your original passport or travel document because it is with the Home Office, you can provide a certified copy of the original along with a letter from the Home Office confirming why the original is not available. Please remember that the copy must be certified by a person of good standing in the community, eg a doctor or solicitor – it must state that they have seen the original and provide their full name and contact details.
We do not accept ISD documents as proof of identity

41. SUPPORTING AN APPLICATION SUPPORTING AN APPLICATION
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
SUPPORTING AN APPLICATION
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
If supporting an application for income-assessed student finance, SFW will
need to see details of parents’, partner’s or other sponsor’s household
(taxable earned and unearned) income and National Insurance number(s).
Earned income includes:
wages, salaries, tips, and other taxable employee pay
long-term disability benefits received prior to minimum retirement age
net earnings from self employment
Unearned income includes:
interest from savings (only the annual summary is required)
benefits and pensions
rent from property or a room
Only include income received for the following benefits:
Contribution based Employment and Support Allowance
Incapacity Benefit (only include the amount received after 28 weeks of incapacity)
Bereavement Allowance • Industrial Death Benefit
Carer’s Allowance • Jobseeker’s Allowance
Statutory Adoption Pay • Statutory Maternity Pay
Graduated retirement benefit • Statutory Paternity Pay
Statutory Sick Pay • Widowed Parents’ Allowance
If there is more than one dependant child in the same household, a standard allowance of £1,130 is deducted from the household income for each of these additional dependants. If there is more than one student from the same household in higher education (depending on household income) a further reduction may be possible through applying split contributions (expected parental contribution to a student’s maintenance costs).
For example, in a household with two students and a household contribution of £500, this would be divided between the two students. Where students in the same household fall under different student finance regulations, their household contribution would be calculated according to the regulations which apply to their individual circumstances. The household contribution is then divided by the number of students in that household.
A full chart of expected contributions based on household income can be found in the policy documents on

42. 2018/19 RESOURCES

43. RESOURCES
Guides
Quick guides
Short films
Website
Practitioner site

44. QUESTIONS?

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