A Guide to Student Support for 2009/10

1. A Guide to Student Support for 2009/10

2. The Student Support available The Application Process The Assessment Procedure Loan Repayment details How to obtain further information What’s in this presentation?

3. STUDENT SUPPORT AVAILABLE 2009/10 • The main sources of Support available are; • Tuition Fee Support • Assembly Learning Grant • Maintenance Loan • Bursaries

4. TUITION FEES • Tuition Fee Support is Non Means-Tested Support and not dependant on income • HE Institutions in England and Wales allowed to charge up to £3,225.00 Tuition Fees • Students who normally live in Wales and study in a HE Institute in Wales will be entitled to a Tuition Fee Grant of up to £1,940.00 which does not have to be repaid • Students who normally live in Wales and study in a HE Institute in England will not be entitled to the Tuition Fee Grant • Students will be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of the first £1,285.00 Tuition Fees if they study in Wales, and a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £3,225.00 if they study in England • The Tuition Fee Loan is repayable and further information on Loan Repayments will follow later in the presentation

5. ASSEMBLY LEARNING GRANT The Assembly Learning Grant is a grant that is available to certain Welsh Students. The grant does not have to be re-paid if you attend for the whole academic year The maximum Assembly Learning Grant payable is £2,906.00 The Grant is means-tested Where the Household Income is; Lower than £18,370.00 the student qualifies for £2,906.00 £27,852.00 the student qualifies for £1,288.00 Where the Household Income is higher than £39,330.00 there is no Assembly Learning Grant payable

6. MAINTENANCE LOAN Most full-time students are entitled to apply for a Maintenance Loan The Maintenance Loan is meant to assist with students living costs. An Element of the Loan is means-tested The amount of Maintenance Loan that can be applied for also depends on the amount of AssemblyLearning Grant awarded The Maintenance Loan is repayable and further details on the repayment procedure will follow later in this presentation

7. MAINTENANCE LOAN RATES * Where a student is entitled to an Assembly Learning Grant of £1,288 or above, the student can only apply for the Minimum amount of the relevant rate of Maintenance Loan

8. Table showing Student Support available for 2009/10

9. NON MEANS-TESTED SUPPORT ONLY Where the Household income is above certain levels, an application should be made for Non Means-Tested Support Only. In these cases, it is only the student who has to complete the application form The income levels negating to Non Means-Tested Support depend on the applicable rate of Maintenance Loan The table below shows the relevant figures;

10. BURSARIES • Welsh Students entering a Welsh Institution in 2009/10, who are paying flexible tuition fees and are eligible for the Maximum Assembly Learning Grant , are eligible to receive £319.00 from the Welsh National Bursary Scheme • Welsh Students entering an English Institution in 2009/10, who are paying flexible tuition fees and are eligible for the MaximumAssembly Learning Grant , are also eligible to receive a £319.00 Bursary • The above bursaries are paid by the Student Loans Company and based on the information provided on the PN1 ApplicationForm submitted to the Local Authority

11. APPLICATION PROCESS FOR 2009/2010 • PN1 Application Form • Available from February 2009fromLocal Authority • Supply of the forms sent to Schools • Bridgend County Borough Council:01656642067 • www.studentfinancewales.co.uk • Customer Support Office: 0845 602 8845 • (Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm Saturday 9am – 1pm)

12. www.studentfinancewales.co.uk • Contains information on all aspects of Student Finance • CALCULATE MY ENTITLEMENTavailable from November 2008 • MY FACT FIND available from April 2009 • MY FACT FIND allows students to; • - Use on-line calculators to work out their entitlement to Student Support • Find out the different Bursaries that are available • Calculate their Budget for the academic year • Estimate their likely Loan Repayments once they have graduated

13. INFORMATION REQUIRED FROM THE STUDENT ON THE PN1 FORM • College/ course details giving UCAS codes • Estimated UNEARNED income for academic year • Loan Request Form • - No loan payments can be made without a fully completed Loan Request Form • Bank Account details • - No Assembly Learning Grant/ Maintenance Loan can be paid without them • National Insurance Number • No loan payments can be made without a valid NINO • Original valid Passport (Photocopies are not acceptable) or Original Birth Certificate accompanied by Birth Certificate/ Identity Confirmation Form

14. INFORMATION REQUIRED FROM THE SPONSOR(S) ON THE PN1 FORM • Certification of income and allowances for the 2007/2008 financial year - Prior Tax Year • Parent(s), Step-Parent’s, Parent’s Partner’s and Civil Partner’s income all taken into account – Household Income • Certification of income required; • Certification ofemployment/ pensionincome- P60/P60P • Certification of income from self-employment asagreed by the InlandRevenue- Self-assessment Tax Return/ Accountant’s Letter • Certification of State Benefits-CB2 FormorP60U CERTIFICATION OF ALL INCOME IS REQUIRED ONLY TAXABLEINCOME IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

15. DEADLINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THE PN1 FORM • Application should be returned to the Local Authority • 24 April 2009 for Non-Income Assessed Support • 22 May 2009 for Income Assessed Support • As applications are dealt with on a date order basis, the application should be submitted AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

16. ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE • Your Local Authority will enter and submit the details from the PN1 Form onto the Student Finance Wales website • This will generate letters indicating your Customer Reference Number (CRN) and SecretAnswer Password. • PLEASE KEEP THESE SAFE AS YOU WILL NEED THIS INFORMATION IN ORDER TO AUTHENTICATE YOUR IDENTITY! • An assessment will then be made of your financial entitlement and you will receive: • A FINANCIAL NOTIFICATION LETTER followed by a • PAYMENT SCHEDULE LETTER

17. FINANCIAL SUPPORT NOTIFICATION • Sent directly to the Student by Student Finance Wales • The Notification shows; • Entitlement to ASSEMBLY LEARNING GRANT • Entitlement to MAINTENANCE LOAN • If there is any HOUSEHOLD CONTRIBUTIONexpected • The amount of TUITION FEE LOAN applied for • Entitlement to TUITION FEE GRANT (If applicable) • COLLEGE and COURSE details The FINANCIAL SUPPORT NOTIFICATION should be taken to the University/ College on enrolment day. This is to show the institution who will be responsible for the TUITION FEES

18. PAYMENT SCHEDULE LETTER • Shortly after receiving the Financial Support Notification, theStudentLoans Company will then send the student a Payment Schedule Letter • The Payment Schedule Letter does not show any information about Tuition Fees, as the Student Loans Company pays any Tuition FeeSupport direct to the University/ College • The Payment Schedule Letter gives details of; • Proposed dates for the three payments of Assembly Learning Grant (Supplementary Grants) • Proposed dates for the three payments of Maintenance Loan • The PAYMENT SCHEDULE LETTER should also be taken to the University/ College on enrolment day. The University/ College will then confirm attendance to generate the firstpayment of the Student Finance, usually within two – three working days

19. CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCE • It is vitally important to inform the Local Authority if any details change after submission of the PN1 Form • For example; • If there is a change of course/ college after ‘A’ Level results • If there is a change in term-time living arrangements • If you are thinking of transferring courses • If you are thinking of withdrawing from your course • If there is a change in the Household Income • Please note that you will have to submit a CO1form to the Local Authority to inform them, in writing, of the changes • You can download a CO1 form from the Student Finance Wales website www.studentfinancewales.co.uk • You can also contact your LAon01656 642067 to request a paper copy

20. REPAYMENT OF LOANS • Maintenance Loans and Tuition Fee Loans are added together • Student Loans Company administer collection of the Loan • Interest rate applies from 1st September to 31st August • Repayments begin on the 6th April after the Student graduates or stops attending the course • At that time the Student Loans Company will advise HM Revenue andCustoms (HMRC) (Formerly the Inland Revenue) that the Loan has entered repayment • The HMRC will instruct employers to deduct repayments from the Gross Income at the rate of 9% of any income earned in excess of £15,000.00peryear, £1,250.00permonth or £288.00perweek • www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk

21. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WHERE A STUDENT WITHDRAWS FROM THEIR COURSE BEFORE THE 1st DECEMBER 2009 THE TUITION FEE LOAN/ TUITION FEE GRANT WILL NOT BE PAID CONSEQUENTLY, THE STUDENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF ANY TUITION FEE THAT THE HE INSTITUTION DECIDES TO CHARGE

22. Contact Details Student Finance Bridgend County Borough Council 01656 642067 studentfinance@bridgend.gov.uk www.studentfinancewales.co.uk 0845 602 8845