At Bicton College we offer you advice and information on how and where you can get financial support so that you can focus on your studies.
There are many ways in which funding is available to you, which are often confusing and criteria often changes, but here are some of the options available to you:
Learner Support Fund (LSF)
The purpose of this fund is to give support to students who are most in needs to ensure that their studies aren’t affected by their personal circumstances. This is a means-tested fund and if you meet the criteria and adhere to the terms and conditions then you are likely to receive support within the following areas:
- Accommodation
- Childcare
- Equipment
- Lunch
- Travel to and from College (19 years and over only)
How to apply:
Fill out the application form below that applies to you and then return it to Karen Selley, Bicton College, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 7BY
Application form - aged 16-18yrs
Application from - aged 19+
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
EMA is a weekly payment worth up to £30 per week and is paid straight in to your bank account.
You are eligible for EMA if:
- you are aged between 16 – 18 years old
- your annual household income is below £30,810 (for tax year 2008-09)
- you are enrolled on to a full-time further education course at college
How to apply :
To request an application pack visit www.direct.gov.uk/ema or call the Learner Support Helpline on 0800 121 8989.
Adult Learning Grant (ALG)
ALG is a weekly payment worth up to £30 per week.
You are eligible for ALG if:
- you are between 19-30 years old
- you are doing your first Level 2 or Level 3 qualification
- you are not receiving any out of work benefits
Applying is easy:
To request an application pack visit www.direct.gov.uk/alg or call the Learner Support Helpline on 0800 121 8989.
Frequently asked questions
Higher Education
How much are the HE tuition fees for 2009/2010?- Full time tuition fees are £2,085 per annum. However, the good news is that each HE student has been awarded an £800 bursary by Bicton College, making the total fees payable £1,285
- Some foundation degrees are available on a part-time basis. Modules are £300 each, less a Bicton College bursary of £114 each, making each module £186 each.
- You apply for a tuition fee loan by completing a PN1 form available on line from www.slc.co.uk following the guidance notes
- A PN1 form is also available from your Local Authority or from Student Finance Direct
- The Student Finance Direct will administer payments to you
- If you do not complete your course, you will be asked to pay back any money that you have borrowed i.e. tuition fee loan, but not until you are in employment and earning over £15,000 per annum
- Further information can be found at Directgov
- You only repay the loan for your fees after you have graduated and are earning a salary of £15,000 or more per annum
- If you do not complete your course, you will be asked to pay back any money that you have borrowed i.e. tuition fee loan, but not until you are in employment and earning over £15,000 per annum
Maintenance Grant
New full-time students from lower income households will be eligible to receive a new (non-repayable) Maintenance Grant which is worth up to £2,835 a year. The actual amount you will be entitled to receive will depend upon your household income.This grant will be paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term, just like your student loan.
Special Support Grant
-
A new Special Support Grant is available for new students who are eligible to receive Income Support and other means-tested benefits such as Housing Benefit. It will cover additional course costs such as books, equipment, travel or childcare that result from attending your course. The amount of support, the income assessment arrangements and the payment arrangements are the same as for the Maintenance Grant above. New students who are receiving the Maintenance Grant and gap year students are not entitled to receive a Special Support Grant.
- A PN1 form is available from your Local Authority or from Student Finance Direct
- The Student Loan Company will administer payments to you.
You can apply for a maintenance grant by completing a PN1 form and sending it to the Student Loan Company
Maintenance Loan
- You can also apply for a further maintenance loan in addition to the tuition fee loan.
- See the 2008/2009 Loan Maintenance rates
- You can apply for a maintenance loan by completing a PN1 form and sending it to the Student Loan Company
- A PN1 form is available from your Local Authority or from Student Finance Direct
- The Student Loan Company will administer payments to you.
Student maintenance loans help with other costs associated with studying at Bicton such as accommodation, food, travel and course materials such as books, are available, and attract a very low rate of interest - at inflation levels. This ensures that the value of the loan that is repaid remains the same in real terms as the amount borrowed.
Payment of loan and/or grant to student
In order to generate these payments you have to enrol and supply the Finance department with the relevant documentation that the Student Loan Company will send to you. The tuition fee loan is paid direct to Bicton College and maintenance loans and grants are paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term, directly into your bank account. Further information is available from www.studentsupportdirect.co.ukBursaries available
Bicton College gives each full time HE student a Bursary of £800 thereby reducing the fees to £1,250. This Bursary is automatic and you do not need to apply.What happens if, despite obtaining loans, grants and/or a bursary, I still struggle to make ends meet?
There are additional resources in the College's Access to Learning Fund. This could help with travel, books, equipment and childcare. If you are experiencing financial difficulty once you have enrolled as a student, you can apply for help via the Funding Officer. (01395 562393)- Students studying on part-time courses will pay a very much smaller fee based on the modules that they study. Each module is £180.00
- A grant of up to £255 is available, to help meet the cost of books, travel and course expenditure. You will not have to repay this grant, and the amount you get is based on your household income.
- There is also a grant for tuition fees worth up to £1180 if you are studying more than 50% of a full time course. The amount of support that you could receive is linked to the intensity of your study. You will not have to repay this grant, and the amount you get is based on your household income. For more information visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Further Education
How much are the FE tuition fees for 09/10? For students between 16- 18 there are no tuition fees
If you are under 19 on the 31st August, in the first year of your course and if you have lived in England for the past three years and are a British citizen you will not normally be required to pay tuition or exam fees. However, you may need to budget for books and equipment. Students over 19 (as at 31/8/09) and resident as above, will normally be charged tuition fees of £1,425 for full time courses. Residents living outside of England, please refer to Admissions on 01395 562408 for tuition fees. There will also be a charge for examination and registration fees dependant on the awarding body for the course. Fees are set each year and are dependant on Government policy.
Part time course fees 09/10
Students over 19 (as at 31/8/09) will be charged tuition fees pro rata the full time fee based on the actual guided learning hours for the course. Please contact 01395 562389 for further information.
Full cost courses
A small number of courses are deemed as full cost courses, such as the Instructor Training Course, and will be individually priced. Please contact 01395 562389 for further information.
How do I pay my tuition fees?
Students undertaking a 1st full level 2 course there are no tuition fees as long as the course is recognised as a full level 2 course by the Learning Skills Council.
Students undertaking a 1st full level 3 course and are under 25, i.e. 19 – 24 as at 31/8/09, there are also no tuition fees.
Part time full level 2 and full level 3 come under the same rules.
Please call 01395 562400 for guidance regarding the level of a course
Payment of fees
Payment in full is due on the day of registration unless otherwise agreed by the Finance Department. Options available by instalment are:-
Payment in full is due on the day of registration unless otherwise agreed by the Finance Department. Options available by instalment are:-
Monthly x 10 – by standing order (the amount of your invoice is divided by 10)
Termly – by standing order, credit card or cheque.(the amount of your invoice is divided by 3)
Career Development Loan
This is repayable on completion of the course. For further information regarding the criteria and to apply, go to website: www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdlFee remission
May be available if the student is in receipt of certain means tested benefits at the start of the course (evidence will be required). Any exam or registration fee will still be payable.Is there any assistance to help me pay my fees? Educational Trusts and Charities
There are a large number of bursaries available nationally as well as locally. Information can be obtained from the reference section of your main library. The publication “Directory of grant-making Trusts” published by The Charities Aid Foundation is very helpful.
There are also various web sites that are helpful in searching for funding. www.studentmoney.org and www.egas-online.org/fwa/index.html allow you to search for scholarships in your region or subject area. Other web sites can be found via www.dfes.gov.uk
Please contact the Welfare Administrator on 01395 562320 for further information.
There are also various web sites that are helpful in searching for funding. www.studentmoney.org and www.egas-online.org/fwa/index.html allow you to search for scholarships in your region or subject area. Other web sites can be found via www.dfes.gov.uk
Some Local Education Authorities (LEA’s) have produced a list of local charities and trusts
www.devon.gov.uk/index/learning/leaving-school/studentfinance.htm
www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/learning/studentfinance/fesupport/
Most grants and bursaries are means tested on students and/or parental income and do not cover the full costs of fees and/or accommodation.
HINT: Remember these companies/educational foundations receive many applications so if yours is to be successful it will have to be well presented, you would be better to submit ten well targeted quality applications that 100 standard or poor quality applications that will be rejected.
Access to Learning Fund & Bursaries
Bicton College has established direct links with the Department for Education & Skills and a number of organisations providing grants and bursaries that can be used to aid students in financial hardship. The two major forms of support administered by the College are the Learner Support Fund and Independent Bursaries. These could be help with travel, books, equipment and childcare.Please contact the Welfare Administrator on 01395 562320 for further information.