► Student Funding

Student Finance

STUDENT FUNDING 2010/2011

The rules about student finance are complicated and the following is only a summary. For more detailed and personalised information phone call in to or e-mail the Advice Centre. Eligible students are entitled to help to finance their studies.

The amount of funding you are entitled to is dependent on various factors:-
Whether you live at home or independently
Whether you study in London or elsewhere in the UK
Your household income and personal situation

Your funding for your living costs is provided by the Maintenance Loan; Maintenance Grant and Institutional Bursary. There is also the opportunity to top up your funds with part-time work or to apply to the Access to Learning Fund for an award or short term loan. Your funding for Tuition Fees is covered by the Tuition Fees Loan
MAINTENANCE LOAN

The maximum amounts are as follows:-
Living at home £3838
Living away from home £4950
Living away from home in London £6928

72% of the loan is non means tested. You can get it regardless of household income.
28% of the loan is means tested and dependent on household income.

THIS PART OF YOUR FUNDING IS REPAYABLE
MAINTENANCE GRANT

Means tested on household income.
Household income
£25000 or less Full £2906 Grant
Between £25001 +£50020 Partial Grant depending on household income
More than £50020 No Grant

The amount of Maintenance Grant you receive will affect the amount of Maintenance Loan you can borrow. The Maintenance Loan is reduced by 50p for every £1 of Maintenance Grant you are entitled to.

THIS PART OF YOUR FUNDING IS NON-REPAYABLE
SPECIAL SUPPORT GRANT

Replaces the Maintenance Grant for people who, as full time students, can claim income-related benefits, for example lone parents and disabled students amongst others.
As with the Maintenance Grant the maximum amount you can receive is £2906 where household income is less than £25000 and then a partial grant on a sliding scale up to a household income of bj £50020 after which no Special Support Grant is payable.
Unlike the Maintenance Grant the amount of Special Support Grant you receive does not reduce the amount of Maintenance Loan you can borrow.

THIS PART OF YOUR FUNDING IS NON-REPAYABLE
TUITION FEE LOAN

This is an amount to cover the fee you are charged for your course. It will be paid direct to the university

THIS PART OF YOUR FUNDING IS REPAYABLE

INSTITUTIONAL BURSARY

The Plymouth bursary package is for home students who commence a full time, non NHS funded undergraduate degree at the University of Plymouth or progress to the University from a partner college in September 2010
All recipients must have applied for and be eligible for means tested support and must be paying the full 2010/2011 tuition fees of £3290
All students fitting the above criteria with household incomes below £25000 receiving the full Maintenance Grant will receive a total University Bursary of £900
All students fitting the above criteria with household incomes between £25001 and £40000 and receiving a partial Maintenance Grant will receive a university Bursary of £300.
No application is necessary. Eligible students will be identified automatically via the Student Loan Company. Your bursary will be paid in 2 instalments, November and February
For Bursary entitlement for students who commenced their course prior to 2010 and other non universal bursaries such as the Relocation or Independent Student Hardship Bursary please request further information from the Advice Centre or the Student Funding unit at Hepworth House
ACCESS TO LEARNING FUND

This fund is administered by the Student Funding Unit and is open to any full or part time HOME undergraduate or postgraduate including NHS students and Plymouth based students of the Peninsula Medical School.
It is a hardship fund provided by the government for universities to give those who are in financial hardship after applying for all other sources of funding and you MUST have applied for all other funding to which you are entitled
Awards are discretionary and, if given, are non repayable.

For more information contact the Student Funding Unit at Hepworth House (01752 587680) or visit:

http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=314

Special Support Grant v's Maintenance Grant

The vast majority of students receive a Maintenance Grant as part of their student finance package, but is this right? A group of students should instead be receiving a Special Support Grant.

The differences:

So who can claim a Special Support Grant?

Although there are several categories of students that can apply, broadly speaking it is those that have a disability; are lone parents; are part of a student couple and have responsibility for a child; or you are over the age of 60, that can apply.
How do you apply?

If you are applying online then in the About You section it asks you if you would like to apply for a Special Support Grant. You need to select yes, don’t worry if you don’t it can be resolved at a later stage but this takes a bit more time.

If you are using a paper application form then on the 2nd page you need to tick the box that asks you if you are eligible for a Special Support Grant.

These are the only reference that either application routes make to the Special Support Grant.
Need more help?

If you want more advice on whether you are eligible to apply for a Special Support Grant then contact the Advice Centre for more in depth advice. If you are already getting a Maintenance Loan and think that you are entitled to a Special Support Grant then we can help you to apply for a re-assessment. See our Contact Us page for details of how to get in touch.