Finance for Higher Education at HCT
Support for Full-time students
Tuition Fees:
To obtain help towards your tuition fees you must first apply to your Local Education Authority. You will be assessed on income as an Independent Student or that of your parents. An Independent Student is one of the following:
- Over the age of 25,
- Married at the start of the course,
- Has no living parents,
- Has been supporting themselves for 3 years prior to the course start date.
For all those to whom this does not apply, assessment will be based on your parent’s income. You can apply by requesting forms from your Local Education Authority (LEA) or on-line at www.studentsupportdirect.co.uk . Application packs are also available from Herefordshire College of Technology’s Student Services Department. If your circumstances change during your course, you will need to notify your LEA.
Your application may result in you receiving either:
- A tuition fees grant (which is non-repayable)
- A tuition fees loan, which will be repayable in the same way as your main student loan
Which of these you receive will depend on your circumstances; the Local Education Authority will decide which of the above you are eligable for. Any tuition fees awarded will be paid directly to HCT.
Students on a franchised course, where the parent institution charge is higher than the minimum fee, will be able to take out an additional student loan to cover this, which is repayable in the same way as the main student loan.
Maintenance Grant:
The government has introduced a Maintenance Grant, set up for new full-time students. It is paid directly into you bank account in 3 installments, along with your loan. Again the LEA assesses this and there are income thresholds. Any award made to you does not have to be repaid. There are other grants available for students in certain circumstances (e.g. those with dependant children or those with disabilities.)
Student Loan:
Many of our students take up their student loan entitlement. This loan is made up of a 75% basic entitlement, which is not means tested and 25% that is means tested; therefore this part of the loan may reduce or increase depending upon your household or parental income. This loan is paid to you each term. Any loan will have to be repaid, but only once you have left education and are earning above the set amount (currently £15,000 per year.)
Support for Part-time students
Tuition Fees & Course Grant:
Similar to full-time students, part-time students must apply to their LEA to obtain financial support for their studies. To qualify you must study 50% or more of a full time equivalent. The assessment takes place on income. Students who have already studied for a previous degree will not qualify for help with tuition fees. To request an application form, call the DfES Application Line on 0800 731 9133 or to speak to someone for advice call the DfES Advice Line on 0845 300 5090. Please remember that your fees may exceed the value of your grant, so there may be a balance for you to pay. The course grant will be payable to you, the fees grant is paid directly to the College. You do not have to re-pay these grants.
Career Development Loans:
If you cannot get support through your LEA or any other funding, you may be able to apply for a career development loan (CDL). Anyone aged 18 or over living in Great Britain and planning to work in the UK or European Union after their training can apply for a loan. To get a copy of this application, contact the CDL information line, on 0800 100 900.
Additional Help
There is limited help available for full and part time HE students in cases of financial hardship. This help is administered directly by HCT. Please contact Financial Support on 0800 032 1986 for further details.
Further advice is available at www.studentsupportdirect.co.uk. This site provides information on the financial help available to students and it is possible to calculate an estimate of the support to which you may be entitled.
Financial help when enrolling on a partnership course:
Those students enrolled with other institutions providing franchised courses at HCT (e.g. Worcester University or Hereford College of Arts) may be eligible for additional bursaries, depending on financial circumstances. The institution you enroll with can provide all the necessary details
Disabled Students Allowances (DSA's)
The DSA provides extra financial help if you want to study a higher education course and have a disability, ongoing health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty like dyslexia. For further information on the DSA visit www.direct.gov.uk. You can also contact our DSA Coordinators Annie Fish on 01432 365546 and Hannah Pickford on 01432 365546 to find out how to apply.
