The Student Support Section carries out eligibility and financial assessments for student loans, tuition fees and grants.
If you live in Oldham, will be studying in higher education and are applying for financial support.
You can contact the Student Support Section by visiting our reception based in ContactOldham, by Telephone, Minicom, Fax or Email. More information can be found by visiting our website at http://www.oldham.gov.uk/learning.htm
You need to make an application (Form PN1- New Students or Form PR1 - Continuing Students)
PN1 forms are available from the Student Support section, from schools and colleges in Oldham (PR1 forms will be sent automatically to students from Student Finance Direct), or you can download a form from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Student Support website or complete an application on line at:www.dcsf.gov.uk/studentsupport/formsandguides/index.shtml
Application forms are available from March if you are starting a course in September 2007. The form will tell you the deadlines of when to return the form to ensure that the financial support is available at the start of the course.
Oldham Council
Student Support
PO Box
40
Civic Centre
West St
Oldham
OL1 1XJ
If you are a new student the Student Support Section will need to see your passport or if you do not have a passport your original birth certificate. If you choose to send the original birth certificate, the birth certifcate must be accompanied by a declaration form (available to download from www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk)
The PN1 form will tell you which financial documents you will need to return with the application form.
Continuing students do not need to send documents with the application form.
Student loans and grants are available to students who require help with living costs. You have to repay any loans, however you will not have to start repaying them back until you have finished or left your course and you begin earning.
Whilst at college/university you have two main costs to pay:
No eligible full time student will have to pay for their fees before or whilst they are on the course. Instead, fees will be covered by a low cost loan. This new tuition fee loan is non- means tested and is up to £3,070 a year. Loan repayments start after leaving university and once earnings exceed £15,000.
Continuing students and eligible gap year students will continue under the 2005-funding scheme. The maximum fees a university can charge are £1,230 a year. But from 2006, students won’t have to pay this money upfront-instead you can apply for the tuition fee loan to cover these costs and repay after you have left university and once earnings exceed £15,000.
New and Continuing students will be eligible to apply for a student loan to help pay for living costs. This is in addition to the new student loan for fees.
The student loan is means tested and based on your own and family income and on where you decide to live and study.
For students from low income families who started their course in 2004/2005 academic year or later there is a grant worth up to £1,000 a year and does not have to be paid back.
There is extra help to meet the costs of going to university for students from lower income households. This could be worth up to £2,765 a year and does not have to be paid back.
A Special Support Grant is available to students who are a ‘perscribed person’ under the Income Support or Housing Benefits regulations. This will generally be single parents, other students if they have a partner who is also a student, and students with qualifying disabilities.
The Special Support Grant covers extra course-related costs such as books, equipment, travel or childcare. The amount of support, the income assessment arrangements and the payment arrangements are the same as for the Maintenance Grant. The amount of Special Support Grant you receive will not affect the amount of Maintenance Grant you may entitled to receive. Nor will your entitlement to Department for Work and Pensions benefits be affected if you receive the Special Support Grant.
Students in receipt of the Higher Education Grant will not be eligible to receive the Special Support Grant.
If you are eligible to receive a Special Support Grant, you will not be eligible to receive a Maintenance Grant.
This is non-repayable and worth up to £1,435 a year depending on household income. It is intended to help with course related costs for students who have dependent children.
If you are a student who has a husband, wife or partner who depends on you financially, you may be eligible for up to £2,510 a year. This is non-repayable and depends on household income.
This is a non-repayable grant for full time students with dependent children in registered or approved childcare. The amount payable depends on household income and actual childcare costs. The maximum available is 85% of weekly childcare costs up to maximum of £148.75 a week (one child) or £255.00 a week (two children or more)
Bursaries are extra financial help for students from the university or college they go to. You do not have to repay any of this help.
These help with the extra costs students have as a direct result of a disability. Available for all full time and some part time students. This help is not dependant on household income and is not repayable.
If you are a part time student with a disability and studying at least 50% of a full time course, you may qualify for help with a Disabled Students’ Allowance.
The Disabled Students’ Allowance is available to full time and part time postgraduate students as well as distance learning students. Postgraduate part time courses should last for at least one year and should not take more than twice as long to complete than an equivalent full time course.
These are available direct form universities to help students from lower income families who need extra financial support for their course to stay in higher education. These are assessed on an individual needs basis and payment may be as a non-repayment grant or as a short-term loan.
There is also help available if you study part time. You can get a non-repayable grant for fees of up to £1150 depending on how intensive your study is. In addition there is a non-repayable grant of up to £250 towards the costs of books, travel and course expenditure.
Both these grants are means tested and are available to students from lower income households who intend to complete their course in no more than twice the length of time it would ordinarily take to complete the full time course. The part time application (Form PTG1) is available in July for a course starting in September.
Your application and the evidence you have provided will be checked by the Student Support section. If your application is in order, it will be sent to Student Finance Direct (a service managed by the Student Loans Company in partnership with local education authorities and the Department for Education and Skills)
Student Finance Direct will send you notice of the support you are entitled to. If you have provided all the information you need to, this will normally be six to eight weeks after your application has been received.
Your money will be paid direct into your bank account after you register on your course at the start of the term. Student Finance Direct will send you a payment schedule that tells you how much your payments are and when your installments are due. You will normally receive any amounts due in three installments.
You will not have to start repaying the loan until the April after you have finished or left your course. The amount you repay will be linked to your income. You will be expected to repay 9% of your income each year over £15,000. The Student Loans Company will work with the Inland Revenue to collect repayments. They will be taken by your employer and shown on your pay statement.
Department for Education and Skills – Web site www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport
Student Loans Company – Web site www.slc.co.uk or www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk
more information is available on financial help for those entering full time higher education in 2006 and later. (PDF format)
Skill: the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
Phone:
0800 328 5050
Minicom: 0800 068 2422
Fax: 020 7450 0650
Email:
info@skill.org.uk
Website: www.skill.org.uk
Oldham Council
Student Support Section
PO
Box 40
Civic Centre
West Street
Oldham
OL1
1XJ
Telephone: 0161 770 3352
Minicom: 0161 770 6901
Fax:
0161 770 4277
Email: studentsupport@oldham.gov.uk
Reception : Contact Oldham
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday
09:00 – 17:00
Wednesday 10:00 – 17:00