Fees and Scholarships 2014/15 All you need to know

Version 2: Revised 08/01/14 following Government changes to funding

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Contents

How much are our fees? We have three fee levels – £7,000, £7,800 and £8,500 – which reflect the type and cost of course being studied. They range from the sciences based courses at the higher level to foundation degrees at the lower level.

The new fees are underpinned by a £10m student support package, making Sunderland’s overall offer one of the most competitive in the UK.*

The money we receive from fees will go towards ensuring the student experience at Sunderland continues to be one of the best in the country.

Last year, our student experience was described as outstanding by the Times Higher Education

Awards. Fee money will also be invested in making sure you leave Sunderland with the best possible prospects.

You don’t have to pay upfront You don’t have to pay anything at all until you’re earning over £21,000 per year. The monthly instalments are less than you would have paid under the old system (see payment models on the back cover).

NB. Students with certain ‘previous study’ may be ineligible for a

tuition fee loan. For further advice and guidance please contact the

Student Financial Advice Team on 0191 515 2933.

*Figures released by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA)

Tuition fees

Tuition fees 2

Tuition fee loans 3

Living cost loans and grants 4

Fees – the facts 5

Grants for disabled students and Childcare Grants 5

Our support for you – Scholarships 6-7

Paying back your fees back cover

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Tuition fee loansHow much can I borrow? Up to the full cost of your course fee.

Who’s eligible? All full-time students from the UK and EU. Part-time students can get loans too, but the terms are slightly different (see part-time students).

How do I apply? You don’t have to wait until you’ve been offered a place. You can apply from early 2014. Go to: www.gov.uk/student-finance

Who am I borrowing from? The Government – the Student Loans Company (SLC).

How is it paid? The Government (SLC) pays the money directly to the University.

Do I have to reapply each year? Yes.

How do I pay it back? You pay on a varying scale (see the back cover for details).

Part-time students We haven’t set the fees for part-time students yet. As soon as we do, we’ll put them on our website.You will be able get a tuition fee loan too as long as you’re studying at a minimum of 25 per cent the rate of a full-time student. For example, if the course takes three years to complete full-time and you’re taking it over six years, you qualify.

The repayment terms are a bit different for part-time students. If you’re earning over £21,000 per year, three years after starting your course, you start repaying the loan whether your course has finished or not. The other terms are the same. Part-time students won’t qualify for living cost loans or grants or the majority of University scholarships.

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How much can I get? Repayable loans: up to £5,555 a year. Non-repayable grants: up to £3,387 a year.

Who’s eligible? All full-time students from the UK. The figures in the table are based on what an English student might get. Awards for students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may differ slightly.

How do I apply? Go to: www.gov.uk/student-finance

Who am I borrowing from? The Government – the Student Loans Company (SLC).

How is it paid? Straight into your bank account.

Do I have to reapply each year? Yes.

How do I pay back the loan? You pay nothing until you’re earning over £21,000 per year.

Living cost loans and grants

If your household income is £42,620 and under, you can get a loan and a grant. The grant doesn’t have to be paid back.

LIVING AWAY FROM HOME AND STUDYING OUTSIDE LONDONPACKAGE OF SUPPORT FOR 2014/15

HOUSEHOLD INCOMEMAINTENANCE GRANTS

(NON-REPAYABLE)MAINTENANCE LOANS

(REPAYABLE)TOTAL

£25,000 or less £3,387 £3,862 £7,249

£30,000 £2,441 £4,335 £6,776

£35,000 £1,494 £4,808 £6,302

£40,000 £547 £5,282 £5,829

£42,620 £50 (minimum grant) £5,530 £5,580

£42,875 £0 £5,555 (maximum loan) £5,555

£45,000 £0 £5,341 £5,341

£50,000 £0 £4,836 £4,836

£55,000 £0 £4,331 £4,331

£60,000 £0 £3,826 £3,826

Over £62,132 £0 £3,610 £3,610

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GRANTS FOR DISABLED STUDENTS If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you can get a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) to help pay for any equipment and support you need.

For details see: www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas

Full-time and part-time students are eligible for DSAs on top of any other loans, grants and bursaries. They’re not based on your household income and you don’t have to pay this money back. When you apply for your tuition fee loan, explain that you want to apply for a DSA. The Government will send you a separate form.

CHILDCARE GRANTS Full-time students with children in registered or approved childcare can apply for a Childcare Grant to help with these costs in term time and holidays. You may also be eligible for a Parents’ Learning Allowance to help with course-related costs. This is on top of any Child Tax Credits for which you may be eligible.

Both the grant and the allowance are based on your household income, but you don’t have to pay the money back.

When you apply for your tuition fee loan, indicate that you want to apply for a Childcare Grant. The Government will send you a separate form.

Grants for disabled students and Childcare Grants

Do I pay back my tuition and living cost loans separately? No, they’re added together so you make one monthly payment.

How do I pay it? It’s taken from your salary automatically so you don’t have to do anything. If you’re self-employed, you’ll pay through HM Revenue and Customs.

Do my fees go up for each year of my course? Your fees may increase by a small amount each year in line with inflation, but the Government has yet to make that decision.

Can I pay my fees upfront? Yes, you have the option to pay all or part of your fees upfront. If you only pay part of the fee upfront, you can take out a loan for the rest.

Can I pay it off early? Yes, there is no charge for settling your loan early.

What if I lose my job or take a career break? If your salary falls below £21,000, your payments stop. Payments don’t start again until you’re earning over £21,000. This applies even if you decide to take a pay cut voluntarily.

Fees - the facts

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We have invested an additional £10m to create a wide range of generous support packages. As well as tuition fee loans and living cost loans and grants, we have six scholarship schemes available to full-time home/EU students applying to study in 2014 (conditions apply). The University also offers some part-time scholarships. For further details and guidance notes go to: www.sunderland.ac.uk/scholarships

Scholarships for everyone

Excellence Scholarship

For new home/EU full-time undergraduate students who achieve ABB grades at A Level (or equivalent)

FOR EACH YEAR OF CONTINUOUS

STUDY

For first year full-time home/EU undergraduate students

‘Get There’ Scholarship

Care Leavers’ Scholarship

Our support for you - scholarships

FREE UNLIMITED

TRAVELFOR 12 MONTHSRegional or local pass depending on your

term-time addressOR

£500 discount from University-managed accommodation

The following four scholarships do not require an application form. They’re offered automatically to students who meet the essential eligibility criteria.

£2,000

Off-Campus Scholarship

For students on a full-time undergraduate franchised programme at a designated partner college

FOR EACH YEAR OF CONTINUOUS STUDY

FEE REDUCTION£1,200

For Home Care Experienced students

FOR EACH YEAR OF CONTINUOUS STUDY

CASH£1,500

FEEREDUCTION

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Income assessed scholarshipsIncome assessed scholarships are awarded on a discretionary basis following an application and assessment process. Students can only apply for ONE income assessed scholarship, therefore it is recommended that students thoroughly read the eligibility criteria and understand what each scholarship offers.

The National Scholarship Programme (NSP)

HOME (ENGLAND) STUDENTS

£2,000 CASHIN YEAR 1

For students with a household income under £25,000

EU STUDENTS

£2,000 FEE REDUCTION

IN YEAR 1For students with a household income under £25,000

456 available

The Sunderland Scholarship

HOME / EU STUDENTS

£2,000 CASH• £1,000 IN YEAR 1

• £1,000 IN YEAR 2

For students with a household

income under £42,620

228 available

www.sunderland.ac.uk

Your monthly payments are based on 9% of whatever you earn above £21,000.

Your payments are based on what you earn, not what you owe. After 30 years, anything you haven’t paid back is written off. These payments don’t come out of your bank account, they’re deducted from your salary automatically in the same way as income tax.

Below are examples of what you could pay:

Paying back your fees

WHAT NOW? You don’t have to wait until we offer you a place on a course. As soon as you’ve applied through UCAS you can apply for loans and grants online. Go to:

England and other EU countries: www.gov.uk/student-finance Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk Northern Ireland: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk Scotland: www.saas.gov.uk

To learn more about the support available at the University of Sunderland visit: www.sunderland.ac.uk/fees or call us on 0191 515 3000 or email us at: student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

Everything in this booklet is accurate at the time of going to print, but there are some things we don’t know yet. For instance, there might be some last minute changes to the terms of Government loans.

YOUR SALARY IS YOU PAY BACK 9% OF... YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT IS

£25,000 £4,000 £30.00

£30,000 £9,000 £67.50

£35,000 £14,000 £105.00

£40,000 £19,000 £142.00

£45,000 £24,000 £180.00

£50,000 £29,000 £217.50

£55,000 £34,000 £255.00

£60,000 £39,000 £292.50

Jan 2014