STUDENT FINANCE 2016/17 A PRACTITIONER’S INTRODUCTION SESSION CONTENTS • The student finance package • Part-time package • Additional support • NHS courses • Student loan repayment • Application information • Resources THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2016/17 THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS INCLUDES: Tuition fee support Maintenance (living cost) support Bursaries & scholarships Additional support Figures in this section may change, subject to 2016/17 policy approval. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2016/17 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT TUITION FEES OVERVIEW • Currently capped at £9,000 per year. • The tuition fee will be decided by the university or college including if it charges different amounts for different courses. • The average tuition fee for new students in 2015 was about £8,703. • Students at private universities or colleges offering designated courses will be able to borrow up to £6,000* towards tuition costs. *Students will have to self-fund any additional fee charged. TUITION FEES TUITION FEE SUPPORT For eligible Welsh students attending a full-time course at a publicly-funded UK university. Tuition Fee Loan • a non means-tested fee loan of up to £3,900 Tuition Fee Grant • non means-tested Tuition Fee Grant to cover the difference between the maximum Tuition Fee Loan available and the tuition fee actually charged by the university or college • a maximum grant of £5,100 is available if a tuition fee of £9,000 is charged – non repayable • grant and loan paid directly to university or college THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2016/17 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT MAINTENANCE SUPPORT MAINTENANCE LOAN • The majority of the repayable Maintenance Loan will be available to all eligible students. 75% of the total loan is non means tested (not based on household income). • The amount of Maintenance Loan available will be linked to where a student lives and studies while in higher education. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT MAINTENANCE LOAN 2016/17 MAXIMUM RATES 75% non means tested 25% means tested Maximum loan Parental home £3,590 £1,196 £4,786 Elsewhere £4,637 £1,546 £6,183 London £6,497 £2,165 £8,662 Overseas £5,529 £1,843 £7,372 Full-year student (*) ! An additional means-tested loan is available for each extra week of study for students attending their course beyond 30 weeks. ! (*) Slightly lower rates of support apply to final year students. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT WELSH GOVERNMENT LEARNING GRANT • Non-repayable grant for 2016/17 is up to £5,161 (max). • 100% means tested. • Students from households with income of up to £18,370 will be entitled to the maximum £5,161 • Students from households with incomes of up to £50,020 will be entitled to a partial grant. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT COMBINED SUPPORT: Students living away from home, outside London 2016/17 Welsh Gov Learning Grant Maintenance Loan Total £18,370 & under £5,161 £3,603 £8,764 £20,000 £4,715 £3,826 £8,541 £25,000 £3,347 £4,510 £7,857 £26,500 £2,936 £4,715 £7,651 £30,000 £2,099 £5,134 £7,233 £34,000 £1,142 £5,612 £6,754 £40,000 £734 £5,816 £6,550 £45,000 £393 £5,987 £6,380 £50,020 £50 £6,158 £6,208 £50,753 £0 £6,183 £6,183 £58,484 (+) £0 £4,637 (+) £4,637 Household income £ MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FEE SUPPORT FOR OTHER COURSES Course type(*) Max Tuition Fee Loan entitlement (publicly-funded uni or college) Max Tuition Fee Grant entitlement Max Tuition Fee Loan entitlement (publicly-funded uni or college) (privately funded uni or college) Max Maintenance Loan Sandwich Placement Year £1,800 £900 £1,200 Reduced Loan Sandwich Year ERASMUS+ Scheme £1,350 £675 £900 Overseas Rate Overseas Placement £1,350 £675 £900 Overseas Rate ADDITIONAL SUPPORT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OVERVIEW Extra money or support may be available to students if they: • have children or adults dependent on them • have a disability, including a mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty ADDITIONAL SUPPORT DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES (DSAs) • Help towards the additional costs that a student may face as a result of their disability, including a 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 • looks at the specific needs of the individual in relation to their disability and how it affects their studies ADDITIONAL SUPPORT DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES (DSA) DSA rates 2016/17 Part-time maximum support Full-time maximum Support Frequency of payment Non-medical personal helper £15,885 £21,181 Annual Specialist equipment £5,332 £5,332 Duration of course Other disability-related expenditure £1,338 £1,785 Annual Allowance Disability-related travel No limit – reasonable spending can be claimed THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE STUDENTS WITH DEPENDANTS’ Childcare Grant Based on 85% of actual registered/approved childcare costs up to maximum of: £161.50 per week for one child £274.55 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 installment. Parents’ Learning Allowance Help 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. ! Dependants’ Grants are income related. Universities may offer additional support to students with childcare/caring responsibilities. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES • Extra help for many students is available 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 bursaries and scholarships: what is available and how/when to apply. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PART-TIME SUPPORT WELSH PART-TIME SUPPORT PACKAGE • New eligible students who start a part-time course on or after 1 September 2014 at a publicly-funded university or college or on behalf of a publicly-funded university or college in Wales will be able to apply for a non-income assessed Tuition Fee Loan up to £2,625. • New eligible students who start a part-time course on or after 1 September 2014 at a wholly private university or college will be able to apply for a non-income assessed Tuition Fee Loan up to £2,625 (the fee charged may exceed £2,625; in this case, the student must pay the difference.) • New eligible Welsh domiciled students who start a part-time course on or after 1 September 2014 can apply for the existing income assessed part-time course grant, part-time dependants’ Grants (ADG, PLA and CCG and if the intensity is over 50%) and part-time DSAs only (if the intensity is over 25%). • EU students are eligible for fee support only and are therefore not eligible to apply for part-time course grant, Dependants’ Grants or DSAs. NHS COURSES NHS COURSES FUNDING Eligible courses Students must be accepted for an NHS-funded place on a full or parttime course 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 OTHER COURSES NHS COURSES NHS support • Students on eligible courses 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 http://www.nwsspstudentfinance.wales.nhs.uk/home • 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 is not dependent on income. OTHER SUPPORT NHS COURSES NHS degrees up to 30 weeks (15/16 figures) Non meanstested grant Means tested bursary Non meanstested loan London £1,000 £3,191 £4,259 Elsewhere £1,000 £2, 643 £3,030 With Parents £1,000 £2,207 £2,272 NHS Degrees up to 45 weeks (15/16 figures) Non meanstested grant Means tested Bursary Non meanstested Loan London £1,000 £5,460 £4,259 Elsewhere £1,000 £4,395 £3.030 With Parents £1,000 £3,351 £2,272 OTHER SUPPORT NHS COURSES Fees • NHS pays non-medical course fees • Medicine and dentistry: – Arrangements differ depending on year of study and pathway. – Tuition Fee Loan will be available. – NHS usually pays final year. Additional support • Allowances for disabled students and students with dependent adults and children are available from the NHS. • Students can also claim help with travel costs to their placements, if they have additional costs to those incurred when travelling to their university. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT OVERVIEW • Repayment contributions will not be made until students have finished their course and their income is over £21,000 (£1,750 pm) gross. • Full-time students will begin to repay in the April after graduating/leaving their course. • Part-time students can begin to repay in the April four years after they have started their course. (If their income is over £21,000.) STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT • Repayments will be 9% of income over £21,000 and will be deducted automatically from pay through the HMRC tax system for most students. • If income falls to £21,000 or below repayments will stop. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT THE FIGURES Income each year before tax Income from which 9% will be deducted Approximate monthly repayment £21,000 £0 £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 ! Any outstanding loan balance will be cleared 30 years after entering repayment. 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 Earnings: Below £21,000 Interest rate is: Retail Price Index (RPI) plus3% Interest rate is: RPI Only Earnings Between: £21,000 - £41,000 RPI plus up to 3% Earnings: Above £41,000 Interest rate is: Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3% STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT DEDICATED WEBSITE 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. • 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. APPLICATION INFORMATION APPLICATION INFORMATION KEY MESSAGES • Apply online at www.studentfinancewales.co.uk 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. • Make a note of their account log-in 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 means-tested support if there are any delays in receiving household income information. APPLICATION INFORMATION 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 If parents or other sponsors will be supporting a student’s application, they will need their own account on studentfinancewales.co.uk 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. APPLICATION INFORMATION STUDENTFINANCEWALES.CO.UK APPLICATION INFORMATION NEW LOOK ‘MY ACCOUNT’ Making it easier to navigate and understand APPLICATION INFORMATION EVIDENCE AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME 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) 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 SUPPORTING AN APPLICATION HOUSEHOLD INCOME If supporting an application for means-tested 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 2016/17 RESOURCES RESOURCES •Guides •Quick guides •Short films •Website •Practitioner site QUESTIONS? TITLE Example of a table: Heading Heading Heading Heading xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx SUB HEADING IN HERE TITLE