New UK or EU part-time students
Fee Grants
If you are a part-time student living in England or an EU national*, you can apply for a grant to help pay part of your fees. The amount you get depends on how many modules you are taking and on your household income. You need to be studying at least 50 per cent of the full-time course.
If you already hold a UK Honours degree, or overseas equivalent, you will not be eligible for this funding.
The maximum Fee Grants for 2010/11 are:
- £820 for students studying at least 50 per cent of the full-time course (four modules)
- £985 for students studying at least 60 per cent of the full-time course (five modules)
- £1,180 for students studying at least 75 per cent of the full-time course (six modules)
The fees for part-time degree courses at the University of Westminster will be £435 per module in 2010/11 (eg £435 x 4 = £1740 for four modules).
To get the maximum grant, your household income has to be within these limits:
- single student with no dependants: income below £16,845 pa
- student with a partner: joint income below £18,845 pa
- single student with one dependent child: income below £18,845 pa
- student with partner and two dependent children: joint income below £21,845 pa.
If your income is above these levels, you may still get a partial fees grant.
*for more details on the residence rules and EU students’ entitlements, please visit westminster.ac.uk/canda
Course grant
If you qualify for the Fee Grant, you may also receive a course grant of up to £265 to help with study costs. The amount you receive also depends on your household income.
Extra help for students on a low income
The maximum Fee Grant will only cover part of your fees, so even if you receive the full amount, you need to plan how to pay the balance. If you are eligible for the maximum Fee Grant, you may be able to apply for more funding through the University’s Additional Fee Support Scheme (AFSS). You may be eligible for a grant for up to 50 per cent of the difference between the actual fees and the maximum fee grant*. You can also apply to the Access to Learning Fund (ALF) for further help towards other expenses such as childcare. Please remember that even if you receive additional help to pay your fees through AFSS, there will still be a balance that you will need to pay yourself. You will not be able to apply to the ALF until all your fees have been paid.
Eligibility for AFSS may change for 2010/11. Please contact us before starting your course to check the latest position. EU nationals who are not working in the UK or who have not been resident in the UK for three years can apply for the Fee Grant and AFSS, but may not be eligible for the course grant or ALF.
Disabled Students Allowances
If you are a part-time student with a disability, you may also be entitled to Disabled Students Allowances for help with extra study costs incurred as a direct result of disability. This grant is not assessed against your household income. For more information, visit the Student Finance website at direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
For more information on how to get assessed, visit our Disability Services web pages at westminster.ac.uk/disability
How to apply
Applications for part time funding are made via Student Finance England. Please visit direct.gov.uk/studentfinance for the latest information. You will need to reapply every year.
Scholarships
The University of Westminster offers a significant number of scholarships to students taking part-time undergraduate degrees. These are worth up to £7,500 over the length of your course and take the form of fee waivers. They are subject to your satisfactory academic progress, and may not be deferred or used for any course other than the one they were awarded for.
The scholarships are open to UK and EU part-time undergraduates aged 21 or over at the start of the course, who are studying at least 50 per cent of the full-time course (ie 60 credits minimum). The application deadline is 31 August 2010, and you must also have applied for local authority funding; if you receive this, the scholarship will pay the difference between it and the cost of the fees.
Selection is based on excellence and financial need, and the deciding factor will be your 250-word supporting statement on the topic, ‘Given the intense competition for scholarships, why I am an outstanding candidate’.
For more information visit westminster.ac.uk/scholarships
Students and benefits
If you are receiving Income Support, Incapacity Benefit or Housing Benefit, your part-time student funding should not affect the amount of benefit you are getting, but you will need to report your studies as a change of circumstances to the Department for Work and Pensions.
If you are receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you will need to discuss your study plans with the JobCentre to make sure that you still meet the conditions of your Jobseeker’s Agreement or ESA conditions of entitlement.
For more information about studying and benefits, please visit westminster.ac.uk/canda or contact our student advisers (see below).
More information
Government website: direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
University of Westminster websites
General funding information and information on scholarships – westminster.ac.uk/funding
Advice on eligibility and entitlements, including Social Security benefits – westminster.ac.uk/canda
or contact
Student Advisers, Counselling and Advice Service
University of Westminster
35 Marylebone Road,
London NW1 5LS
Tel: +44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 3232
Email: canda@westminster.ac.uk
*for more details on the residence rules and EU students’ entitlements, please visit westminster.ac.uk/canda