1. Student Finance Sarah Fullwood Schools and Colleges Liaison (Sixth Form Enrichment)

2. What does it cost to go to university? Two main costs… Tuition Fees -> Covers the cost of your Studies –£9,000 Full Time Degrees (£7,500 - £9,000) Living Costs -> Covers the cost of living –Accommodation –Food –Social activities –Travel

3. How finance might affect your course/university? Cost of accommodation varies across the UK En-suite or shared bathroom? Catered or self Catered? Living at home vs moving away? Travel expenses Studying in London Sandwich Courses, Industrial Placements, Summer Placements Additional costs of your course e.g. books/material/trips

4. Average Weekly Cost for an Aston Student in 2013/14 (Living away from home) Average living expenses per week if you live away from home:- Rent £107-£129.00 per week Mobile & internet £7 Food and toiletries £40 Books and resources £10 Socialising £30 - £50 Laundry £5 TV licence £4 Travel £6 Other e.g. presents/ sports £5- £25 Lowest Estimate: £197 per week Highest Estimate: £281per week Per academic year £7,486 £10,678

5. Don’t panic…lots of financial support is available to help you throughout university What funding is available to help When repayments need to be made  How to apply for financial support

6. Tuition Fee Loan - Repayable Tuition Fee Loan covers your tuition fees (£6000-£9000) Non-means tested & available to everyone It’s not compulsory - can pay full/part of the tuition fee if you wish £1 - £9,000 Paid directly to the University by the Student Loans Company Placement year/year abroad tuition fees will be vastly reduced (£1,000 at Aston) No penalties for early repayment

7. All eligible students are entitled to a Maintenance Loan, with 65% of the total loan being Non Means Tested (not based on household income). 35% of the rest of the loan will depend on your household income The amount of maintenance loan available will be linked to where a student lives and studies while in higher education Maintenance Loan – Repayable

8. Maintenance Loan for September 2014 All ‘home’ students are eligible for Maintenance Loan Like the Tuition Fee Loan, this money has to be repaid Living away from home (outside of London) max loan is £5,555 Living in London, max loan is £7,751 Living at home, max loan is £4,418 65% of the loan is non means tested 35% depends on household income

9. Maintenance Grant – Non Repayable Household IncomeGovernment Grant available £25,000 or lessMaximum £3,387 £30,000£2441 £35,000£1494 £40,000£547 £42,620£50 More than £42,620No grant The Maintenance Grant is 100% means-tested and measured on a sliding scale depending on your household income If your household income is below £25,000 you will be entitled to a full grant of £3,387. If your household income is between £25,000 and £42,611 you would be entitled to a grant of between £50 and £3,387 Grants are payable in 3 installments

10. Household Income Maintenance Grant Maintenance Loan Total £25,000 & under£3,387£3,862£7,249 £30,000£2,441£4,335£6,776 £35,000£1,494£4,808£6,302 £40,000£547£5,282£5,829 £42,620£50£5,530£5,580 £42,875£0£5,555 £50,000£0£4,836 £62,132 & over£0£3,610 Combined Maintenance Support Living away from home, outside London Students can get a quick estimate of their student finance entitlement using the calculator on gov.uk/studentfinancegov.uk/studentfinance

11. Vary by institution Depend on circumstances and are often linked to household income Certain courses qualify for bursaries such as NHS courses as well as some Sport and Music courses Scholarships are also rewarded for a students academic achievements Scholarships can be rewarded in various ways depending on individual institutions Scholarships and Bursaries…FREE MONEY

12. Scholarships at Aston University, 2014 UK students £1,000 placement year/year abroad Tuition Fee (£1,000 discount Scholarship for most students at Aston) Scholarships focused on household incomes of under £18,000 but also available for those on £42,000 or less Scholarships based on achievement of AAB at A 'Level or BTEC equivalent Aston Scholarships offer a choice of tuition fee discounts, accommodation discounts or cash awards to reduce study/living costs.

13. Payment Process Tuition Fee Loans: Are paid directly to the institution in separate instalments. Maintenance Loan & Grant: Are paid directly into the student’s designated bank account Core Student Finance is paid in 3 instalments. The 1 st instalment triggered by enrolment. The 2 nd & 3 rd instalments are automatically paid at the start of each subsequent term * The Payment Process for Bursaries, Scholarships and Grants will differ according to each individual University

14. Additional Support whilst at university –Dealt with on an individual basis against set criteria by the university –Up to £3,500 available –Usually a non-repayable grant –They do ask for evidence * You can also speak to your student support team in the Student Union Access to Learning Fund (ALF)

15. Start saving whilst in school/college....even if it’s only £10 a week Part time work in term time and/or vacations (not more than around 15 hours a week!) Consider a paid placement year as past of your degree Financial help from family members Efficient food shopping Young person’s railcard Student bank accounts NUS Card and discounts The importance of budgeting Additional Sources of Income

16. The Importance of Budgeting Money Pressures in an academic year 1 st Semester 2 nd Semester 3 rd Semester Only 3 “Pay days” a year

17. When do I have to pay it back? Repayments Repayable only when you are earning over £21,000 per year Repay 9% of income above £21,000 e.g. You earn £25,000 a year Re-pay 9% of £4000 = £360 per year, £30 per month Not until beginning of tax year (April 1 st ) after you graduate Any outstanding balance after 30 years is cleared Good Debt VS Bad Debt Focus on what you earn not what you owe Graduates pay back Student Loans NOT Students

18. Income each year before tax Income from which 9% will be deducted Approximate Monthly Repayment £21,000£0 £25,000£4,000£30 £30,000£9,000£67 £35,000£14,000£105 £40,000£19,000£142 £45,000£24,000£180 £50,000£29,000£217 £60,000£39,000£292 STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT – THE FIGURES ! Any outstanding loan balance will be cleared 30 years after entering repayment

19. Repayments Graduate Tax Tax CodeTax monthNI CategoryLegislationCurrencyNational Insurance Payment/ Benefit CashAUKBritish Pounds JK569823L Pay per year£25.000 Pay per month£1850.97 Tax190.00 NI130.95 Pension85.00 Student Loans30.00 Total Deductions 435.95 Left with £1415.02

20. Applications should be made to SFE as soon as possible to ensure payments are made at the start of the academic year. Usually open late Jan/early Feb (2015) Apply online www.gov.uk/studentfinancewww.gov.uk/studentfinance Deadline for new applications is the end of May (2015) No need to wait for a confirmed offer All personal and course data can be transferred from UCAS application Tick share details (UCAS/Universities) What should students do next? Applying for Student Finance

21. Family Income on which student finance assessment is based Household/family income is called ‘Residual Income’ Need to provide evidence of earned income and unearned income from savings and investments. (Usually only need to provide National Insurance number in the application as evidence of income.) Based on the previous tax year If circumstances change inform SFE and amendments can be made If parents have separated or are divorced family income is assessed with the parent whom you normally live. www.gov.uk/student-finance Student Finance England Telephone – 0845 300 50 90

22. Make the right choice university and course choice based on full range of factors, not fear of debt Graduates pay back student loans based on what they earn not what they owe Do your research into bursaries and scholarships Inform SFE of any changes in circumstances Contact SFE on social media channels…quicker responses Summary and Top Tips

23. Websites and Contact Information www.gov.uk/student-finance Includes online application, finance calculator and lots of other information Student Finance England Telephone: 0845 300 50 90 Textphone: 0845 604 44 34 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5:30pm www.moneysavingexpert.com www.thestudentroom.co.uk www.thestudentworld.com

24. Any Questions s.fullwood@aston.ac.uk