Financial support available for students starting their course in the academic year 2008/09
Financial help is available to students within the following areas:
- Tuition fee loan
- Loan towards living costs
- Maintenance grant, or
- Special support grant
- Supplementary grants for certain students towards living costs, for which you are eligible because of your particular circumstances such as a Childcare Grant, Disabled Student's Grant, Adult Dependant's Grant and Parent's Learning Allowance
Tuition fees
From September 2006 universities and colleges are able to charge new system students up to £3,145 a year for tuition fees (old system students can only be charged a maximum of £1,255 for tuition fees). The fees charged may vary between courses and between universities. The UCAS (University and College Admissions Service) website can be accessed to confirm charges.
All eligible students are entitled to a loan to cover their fee liability.
Loan towards living costs (maintenance loan)
Both eligible new system and old system students are entitled to a non-income assessed loan to cover living costs. The following chart is for new students.
| Full-year students |
Main rate 100% |
Non-income assessed 75% |
Income-assessed 25% |
| Parental |
£ 3,580 |
£ 2,685 |
£ 895 |
| Elsewhere |
£ 4,625 |
£ 3,470 |
£ 1,155 |
| London |
£ 6,475 |
£ 4,855 |
£ 1,620 |
For new system students where the household income is less than £61,061 there will be no parental contribution.
Maintenance Grant
This is available to new students only and the amount to which you are entitled depends upon your household income.
| Household income |
Maintenance grant |
| £25,000 |
Full £2,835 |
| Between £25,001 and £60,005 |
Partial grant |
| Over £61,061 |
No grant |
Please note: maintenance loan is reduced pound-for-pound by any maintenance grant received up to a maximum of £1,260.
Higher Education Grant
The Higher Education Grant is available to old system students only who started their course in 2004 who were entitled to the old package of support in 2006. The grant is up to £1,000 and is income assessed.
| Household income |
Grant entitlement |
| Below £16,750 |
£1,000 |
| Between £16,751 and £22,499 |
Part grant |
| Above £22,735 |
No grant |
Procedure for claiming
Complete a paper form (PN1) available from end of February by:
- Contacting The Department for Children and Young People Information Service on 01454 868008 or email cis@southglos.gov.uk
- Downloading the form from the DCFS website or
- Applying on-line from the Student Finance Direct website or
- Visit one-stop shops to pick up a form
Deadlines for applications for full-time study 2008/09
|
New Students |
Continuing Students |
| On-line or Paper Applications |
27th June 2008 |
23rd May 2008 |
Please note there is a change from 2007/08 regarding documents we are able to accept for proof of identity.
Students have to supply their passports (copies are not acceptable). If you do not have a passport then you have to be able to supply your original birth certificate plus two written and signed declarations which:
- Must be from the student and must state they do not have a passport
- Is to verify the authenticity of the birth certificate and must be from a professional person (for example, a civil servant, form teacher or other person of good standing in the community) whose identity can be verified
The professional person must currently live in the UK, must hold a current British or Irish passport and must have known you for at least 2 years.
They must also provide very specific information about themselves and you in order for us to accept and verify their declaration.
We are including an information sheet in the packs to advise you what documents to bring into any of our council offices if you do not want to put them in the post.
When you have submitted your application on paper (PN1 Form) you will be sent (by the Student Finance Direct (SFD) in Glasgow) notification of:
- Your ART ID (an 11 digit number)
- A default password
- An initial secret answer
You are advised to access your account on-line by going to the Student Finance Direct website and changing your default password and initial secret answer to something more personal. You will always need your ART ID when you contact this authority (or the Customer Service Office) and you will be asked certain questions about your secret answer to enable us to verify your identity.
The PN1 form asks for course and financial details to allow the Student Access and Support Team to assess your financial support for the 2008/2009 academic year.
Please ensure:
- All sections are completed
- Declarations are signed
- Documentary evidence is enclosed
For further information and advice visit the 'How do I apply for student support?' page which can be found in the 'More in this topic' section on this page or contact us on 01454 868008 or email educ.grants@southglos.gov.uk or contact the Student Finance Direct website or by ringing Customer Support, tel: 08456 077 577 (daily 6am - midnight).