Professional and University-Level Loans

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The majority of students applying for a university-level course in 2021/22 are entitled to apply for a student loan to cover some of the costs of studying. This is provided by the Student Loan Company and is repaid in small monthly instalments once your course is complete and you are earning over a certain amount each year. For further details please visit www.direct.gov.uk/student-finance

Many of our courses are accredited by a number of universities but our fees are much lower than many other providers, which means you can afford to study a university-level course without paying fees of over £9,000 per year.

Our current course fees (as of March 2021) are*:

Foundation Degree/Top-up Degree: Full-time study £6,995 per year, Part-time study £58.29 per credit (includes registration fee)

HNC/HND: Full-time study £6,995 per year (includes registration fee), Part-time study £58.29 per credit (includes registration fee)

CertEd and PGCE: £58.29 per credit (includes registration fees)

If you have a question regarding fees and finance you can contact our careers guidance team on 01246 500500.

All course fees are reviewed annually. Please check our website for the most up-to-date course fees as they may change.

There are two ways to pay your course fees:

  1. The majority of students are eligible for a student loan to pay for course fees. For more information please visit www.direct.gov.uk/student-finance or contact our careers guidance team on 01246 500500.
  2. Alternatively you can choose to pay for your course in five instalments over the year. 20% of the total course fee will be paid upon enrolment, with a further four instalments during the year.

*Full-time students may be entitled to a maintenance loan. This is dependent on family income.

All course fees are reviewed annually. Please check our website course pages for the most up-to-date course fees as they may change.

 

What happens if you withdraw from a course?

Please be aware that if you withdraw from a Higher Education course and you have taken out a student loan you will be required to pay back a pro-rata amount depending on the date of
withdrawal. You will also have used up some of your student loan entitlement should you wish to
transfer to another course.

Can I apply for a bursary?

University-level students have the opportunity to apply for a bursary (which you don’t need to pay back) to help with costs such as travel, books, and equipment. For further, detailed information on the bursary and how to apply, please call 01246 500500.

Maintenance loan

This will help cover your living costs throughout the academic year. How much you get will depend on where you will be living whilst studying and your household income, and will be repayable after you have completed the programme.

Maintenance Grant

This grant helps cover your living costs throughout the academic year and you do not have to pay it back. How much you receive will depend on your household income.

Disabled Student Allowance

If you have a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty you can apply for this non-repayable grant. It can help pay for the extra costs you may have during your programme as a result of your disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. For more information click here.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

If you’re a full-time student with dependent children you may be eligible for help towards your learning costs. How much financial support you receive will depend on your household income.

Eligibility:

Students from England with dependent children may be eligible if they are studying:

  • A full-time undergraduate course
  • An Initial Teacher Training course (ITT)

The allowance doesn’t have to be paid back and won’t affect your benefits or tax credits, plus the money will be paid directly into your bank account on top of other student finances. You can apply for the Parents’ Learning Allowance through Student Finance. Once you have applied you’ll receive a letter with details of how much money you will receive.

Childcare Grant

The Childcare Grant helps with the cost of childcare with a registered or approved childcare provider. If you qualify, the Childcare Grant could cover as much as 85% of your childcare costs during term time and holidays. How much you get depends on your household income and the actual costs of your childcare. This is paid on top of the standard student finance package, and does not have to be paid back. We can also support eligible students with applications for the Care to Learn scheme to help with childcare costs.

Loan Interest

Student loans now offer varying rates of interest. For the latest information on how much you will pay back, please click here.

Council Tax relief

You may be able to get Council Tax relief depending on the number of adults in the household. A full Council Tax bill is based on two adults living in a household. Full-time students are not ‘counted’ towards this number. If there are fewer than two in the household you may be eligible for a discount. To apply you need to take a certificate from the college (available after the start of the programme) to your local council tax office. Visit the Higher Education Admissions & Administration office to request your certificate.

Child Tax Credits

Students with children may also be eligible for Child Tax Credits from the HM Revenue and Customs. To find out more visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits or call them on 0845 300 3900.

Employers

For those thinking about higher study funded by employers, please contact the college to discuss how we can help with your application.

Key documents/policies

You can find copies of our key HE policies and procedures on this website.