1. Intercalated Funding – Medicine & Dentistry
12/25/2018 2:25 AM
Intercalated Funding – Medicine & Dentistry
Debbie Forsey
Money Management Adviser
Advice SU, Queen’s Students’ Union
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2. Abbreviations DoH – Department of Health
SFNI – Student Finance Northern Ireland
TFL – Tuition fee loan
ML – Maintenance loan
MG – Maintenance grant
PCDL – Professional and Career Development Loan
PGL – Postgraduate loan

3. Students on a first degree course in Medicine or Dentistry are eligible for standard funding from SFNI in respect of a TFL and means-tested MG and ML for the first three years of their course.
(refer to slide 7 later)
Don’t worry about this – if you are not taking an intercalated degree then you’re eligible for standard SFNI funding for the first four years.

4. After the second or third academic year a student may decide to take a year away from their Medicine/Dentistry degree in order to follow a one year intercalated degree.
The type of funding available during this intercalated year will depend on the course being followed.

5. They will not be eligible for any travel expenses.
If a student decides to follow an intercalated, one year, undergraduate degree e.g. BSc Human Biology, they will continue to receive standard SFNI funding for the intercalated year i.e. TFL and means-tested MG & ML.
They will not be eligible for any travel expenses.
No travel expenses because at that point you’re not a medical or dental student

6. They will be required to self-fund the Masters.
If a student decides to follow a one year postgraduate course during the intercalated year e.g. Masters in Public Health, they will not be eligible for any undergraduate funding from SFNI for that year – no TFL and no MG or ML. There is no assistance from DoH either.
They will be required to self-fund the Masters.
From 2017/18 NI students are able to apply for a Postgraduate tuition fee loan via SFNI(NE).

7. This funding is still administered by SFNI, on behalf of the DoH.
After the intercalated course has been completed students will then progress on to the next year of the degree in Medicine or Dentistry
Normally students on year four of Medicine or Dentistry are eligible for standard SFNI Funding (refer back to Slide 3), but if they have completed an intercalated course (whether undergraduate or postgraduate), funding for years four and five of Medicine or Dentistry comes from the DoH.
This funding is still administered by SFNI, on behalf of the DoH.
So you still apply via SFNI – application process is the same.

8. In Northern Ireland the DoH, via SFNI, provides bursaries for eligible students of Medicine and Dentistry in their fifth and later years of study in the UK (years four and later after an intercalated degree).  
Tuition fees are paid directly to Queen’s – no longer a loan
The bursaries are income assessed and the amount paid depends on household income.
Students will also be eligible to apply for a non-income assessed reduced loan for the balance of the maintenance support.

9. The DoH funding package available for either year four (if a student has completed an intercalated course) or year five (if they have not completed an intercalated course) is different to the package of support received in previous years from SFNI.
DoH rates on next slide

10. INCOME (£)
ASSESSED PARENTAL CONTRIBUTION (£)
Means tested bursary(£)
Non-means tested MAINTENANCE LOAN (£)
TOTAL BURSARY PLUS LOAN (£)
Student living at home
Standard year
Final year
Standard Final year
< 24,770
1920
1780
1350
3700
3270
24,770 45
1875
3655
3225
29,000
490
1430
3210
2780
30,000
595
1325
3105
2675
35,000
1121
799
2579
2149
40,000
1648
272
2052
1622
42,000
1859 61
1841
1411
42,589
Student living in lodgings
Standard Final year
<24,770
2355
2370
1850
4725
4205
2310
4680
4160
1865
4235
3715
1760
4130
3610
1234
3604
3084
707
3077
2557
45,000
2174
181
2551
2031
46,719
There are considerable differences in the funding package available. The means tested bursary is considerably less than the MG under SFNI. The non-meanstested loan is also considerably less. This severely disadvantages students from a poorer income background. Also because the fees are now being paid if you are in receipt of a SEB and/or QUBB you lose that under the DHSSPS arrangements.

11. The amounts of means-tested bursary and non-means-tested loan are less when a student receives DoH funding than when they receive standard SFNI funding.
The justification for this is that students are not required to take out a TFL to pay for their fees in those years but will have their fees paid in full by DoH, regardless of household income, on receipt of an invoice from Queen’s.

12. DoH Regulations stipulate that Medical or Dental students who repeat
DoH Regulations stipulate that Medical or Dental students who repeat* more than one year of their standard course will not be entitled to a DoH bursary award for fourth or fifth year.
Medical and Dental students who are required to repeat part of the course remain eligible to apply for a TFL, and means-tested MG and ML.
 * this is not applicable to medical/dental students who have support renewed by SFNI due to compelling personal reasons
So if you have a student who has repeated more than one academic year DHSSPS will not fund (unless the years were for CPR) - but SFNI will pick up the funding if this happens. Also if a student has to repeat a year DHSSPS funds, DHSSPS will not consider repeat funding in any circumstances (even CPR) but SFNI will pick up the repeat year.

13. Funding the Masters – be realistic
PGL – fees only
Savings
Family support
Part time work
Commercial borrowing – bank, credit union, Postgraduate Scholarships - do your homework
Be creative – money is not going to fall into your lap
Don’t make assumptions
Payment options

14. Second Undergraduate degrees in Medicine or Dentistry
No ML for intercalated year, but ML for subsequent years.
ML available for students who proceed as normal through the course.