If you are thinking of entering a course of Higher Education then financial help is available to assist with tuition fees and living costs. Tuition fee assistance is means tested and the amount of help you receive will depend on your income and that of your family. Student loans are available to help with living costs, 75% of the maximum loan is available to all eligible students regardless of any other income they have. Whether you can get any or all of the remaining 25% depends on your income and that of your family. We will assess this for you. Extra help may be available if you are disabled, have dependants, have been in care or have extra travel costs to meet.
For more information contact us for an information booklet or you may find it useful to visit the Student Finance Direct website.
For details on how to apply for assistance please see below.
Stage one - Get an application form. If you are a contining student, and were assessed for support by us last year, we will automatically send you a renewal application form (PR1).
If you are a new student application forms can be obtained in March from: The Student Support Section by calling 0845 6077577 or alternatively your school or college.
Stage two – COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION FORM – and return it to Student Support:
SFD Pilots
PO Box 89
Mowden Hall
Darlington
DL1 9AZ
Please return this form to us immediately with any required documentary evidence.
Stage three – You will receive notification of the amount of support available to you. This should be kept in a safe place as you will need to show it to your University. You will also receive a Support Request Form (SRF). If you have not already given us your bank details or if you decide that you want to take a different amount of your loan entitlement you should complete the SRF in full and return it to us.
Stage four - You will receive a payment schedule letter about 2 weeks before you start your course. Take this letter with you when you register as it will be scanned by your University to release your loan payment.
Stage five - Loan is paid direct to your bank account approx 3-4 days later.
Changes to current arrangements
The Government intends to make some changes to the Student Support arrangements for full time undergraduates from September 2006. If the proposed changes recieve Parliamentary approval, the main changes will be:
- Higher Education Institutions would be able to charge variable fees of up to £3,000 for new students starting university in the academic year 2006/2007.
- The requirement to pay fees up front would be abolished for all full-time undergraduates from 2006. Instead students would be allowed to delay paying their fees until after they graduate.
Gap Year Students
If you intend to take a gap year in 2005/2006 and go to University in 2006/2007 you will not have to pay variable fees providing you have applied and received an offer of a deferred place from your University by 1st August 2005.
For latest news about the proposals check out the Department For Education and Skills website