2012/13 financial support

We want to ensure that students with the potential to succeed and gain from a Canterbury Christ Church degree aren’t put off by the change in fees, so we’ve established a fund for 2012/13 to provide financial support to our students.

National Scholarship Programme (NSP)

The National Scholarship Scheme (NSP) is a new programme introduced and part-funded by the Government to help students entering higher education from autumn 2012. At Canterbury Christ Church the National Scholarship Programme provides £3,000 worth of assistance to eligible students in their first year of study: This comprises:

1. a fee waiver of £2,000
2. a £1,000 cash bursary

In years two and three a £1,000 fee waiver will be available each year to eligible students under the University Fee Waiver Scheme. However this is means-tested and you will be required to confirm that your financial circumstances have not changed at the start of each year.

Am I eligible?

You’ll be eligible for support in your first year of study if you:

1. Meet the Government criteria, and
2. achieve top 25% of predicted attainment (for those students considering Canterbury Christ Church as first choice) in our target schools and colleges
3. to be considered Canterbury Christ Church University must be your ‘Firm’ choice

OR

1. Meet the Government criteria, and
2. have spent time in (foster) care (where your fees aren’t already paid by your Local Authority)
3. to be considered Canterbury Christ Church University must be your ‘Firm’ choice

You will be considered automatically if you meet the criteria and will be contacted accordingly.

NB: On your Student Finance England application you choose to share your details with us.

Students who are eligible for the NSP will automatically receive our fee waiver in years two and three should they satisfy our criteria. All offers are non-negotiable and one offer excludes all others (with the exception of Sports/Music scholarships).

What if my family income is less than £25,000 but I'm not eligible for the NSP?

The Canterbury Christ Church University Fee Waiver Scheme

A Fee Waiver Scheme is a non-repayable sum of money awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria set by the University. A fee waiver is a reduction in fees, available to prospective students who fulfill the University’s criteria.

We’re providing a fee waiver scheme of £1,000 per year for students who come from low income households but who don’t meet all the criteria for the NSP.

 

You’ll be eligible for support from the Canterbury Christ Church University Fee Waiver Scheme if you:

1. are a UK student, and
2. come from a low income household (classified as an annual residual family income* of £25,000 or less), and 
3. don’t meet other criteria for the NSP.  

The fee waiver applies to you at the start of every year of your degree course, not just the first year. However this is means-tested and you will be required to confirm that your financial circumstances have not changed at the start of each year.

NB: PGCE students in receipt of a Teaching Agency national bursary aren't eligible, nor are NHS students.

You will be considered automatically if you meet the criteria and will be contacted accordingly. All offers are non-negotiable and one offer excludes all others (with the exception of Sports/Music scholarships).

NB: On your Student Finance England application you choose to share your details with us.

The Canterbury Christ Church University Bursary Scheme

A Bursary is a non-repayable sum of money awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria set by the University. We’re providing a bursary of £500 per year.

You’ll be eligible for support from the Canterbury Christ Church University Bursary Scheme if you:

• are a UK or EU student, and
• come from a low income household (classified as an annual residual family income* of £25,000 or less), and 
• don’t otherwise qualify for the NSP 
• aren't in receipt of a PGCE bursary
• aren't a NHS student
• don’t qualify for Government Maintenance Grants or Loans.

The bursary applies to you at the start of every year of your degree course, not just the first. However this is means-tested and you will be required to confirm that your financial circumstances have not changed at the start of each year.

You will be considered automatically if you meet the criteria and will be contacted accordingly. All offers are non-negotiable and one offer excludes all others (with the exception of Sports/Music scholarships).

NB: On your Student Finance England application you choose to share your details with us.

Sports Bursaries 

We have up to 20 Sports Bursaries of £1,000 per year for elite level sports performers from households with an income up to £42,600.

You could be eligible for a Sports bursary if you are an elite level sports performer as judged by the Canterbury Christ Church University Sports Scholarships panel.

You don't have to be studying a sports-related degree to be eligible to apply for the Sports Bursary, but you do have to be studying full-time on an undergraduate degree.

The Sports Bursary is payable to you at the start of every year of your degree course, not just the first year. However this is not automatic so you will have to re-apply each year. See How do I apply?

You will be considered automatically if you meet the criteria and will be contacted accordingly.

NB: On your Student Finance England application you choose to share your details with us.

Music Bursaries

A range of scholarships and bursaries are also available from the Department of Music and Performing Arts for students of Music. Contact the Department for more information.|  

Is there anything else?

Do I have to pay any of this back?

The NSP fee waivers, Canterbury Christ Church Bursaries and Sports/Music Bursaries do not have to be paid back.

You will be considered automatically if you meet the criteria and will be contacted accordingly.

NB: On your Student Finance England application you choose to share your details with us.

How do I apply?

For all loans and grants you need to apply online at Direct Gov website|.

You don't need to wait until you have a place at university - you can start applying for your loan from March 2012.

Please note there may be additional support for international students. For more information please contact the International Office| at Canterbury Christ Church University

Am I eligible for these scholarships, fee waivers and bursaries if I’ve already started studying?

These scholarships, fee waivers and bursaries are currently only available for students starting their studies in September 2012. Continuing students who started their programmes between 2006-07 and 2011-12 will remain on the state and institutional financial arrangements that were advertised when they applied.

What about government loans and other assistance?

For information about government loans see below, under ‘What support can the government offer?’

Terminology explained

*Residual family income

Money Saving Expert.com defines residual income like this:

This is effectively the household income BEFORE tax and AFTER any pension contributions or allowances for dependent children.

Are you an independent student? If you're over 25 or have financially supported yourself for more than three years, have no living parents or are caring for a child, then you're an independent student and will be assessed on your income (or if married/civil partner it depends on your joint income with your spouse).

It depends on your parents' income for everyone else. For all those dependent students (i.e. not independent) then the income assessment is based on your combined parents' income – though if you have substantial savings/investments of your own generating income they will be taken into account.

If your parents are divorced or separated then they will assess the income of the parent you live with most of the time (if that's not clear cut, it's at the discretion of the Student Loans Company) – if that parent remarries or has a cohabiting partner, their joint income will then be assessed.

Here’s some basic information about the national finance schemes:

• Tuition Fee Loan
  You don't have to pay for your course upfront. As a full-time Home or EU student studying for your first degree or other higher education course you can get a government loan that will completely cover your tuition fees, and you won't have to repay a penny until you are earning £21,000 a year or more. For more information about eligibility and applying for loans visit Direct Gov. 
• Maintenance Loan (living cost loan)
  You'll also see a Maintenance Loan referred to as a 'living cost loan'.
  If you're a full-time Home student you can apply for a maintenance loan. This is a loan available to help you with the day-to-day costs of going to university (a place to live, food, travel and course materials, for example). The amount you can borrow depends on where you live and study and your household income, but just like the tuition fee loan you don't have to start paying it back until you are earning over £21,000 a year. To apply for loan go to Direct Gov. 
  
• Maintenance Grants
  You will also see grants as 'non-repayable finances'.
  If you are a full-time Home student you can also apply for a maintenance grant. Depending on your household income you could be entitled to up to £3,250. If your family income is up to £42,000 you could be entitled to a partial grant.
• Household income
  The amount you could get as a maintenance grant or maintenance loan depends on your family income, whether you are living at home whilst studying and where you live.

Figures in the table below refer to students living away from home and studying outside of London.

NB: The package of support differs if you're living at home and studying outside of London. For more information see Direct Gov.|

Household income	Package of Support
	Non repayable maintenance grants	Maintenance loans (living cost loan)	Total
£25,000 or less	£3,250	£3,875	£7,125
£30,000	£2,341	£4,330	£6,671
£35,000	£1,432	£4,784	£6,216
£40,000	£523	£5,239	£5,762
£42,600	£50	£5,475	£5,525
£45,000	£0	£5,288	£5,288
£50,000	£0	£4,788	£4,788
£55,000	£0	£4,288	£4,288
£60,000	£0	£3,788	£3,788
Over £62,500	£0	£3,575	£3,575

Do I have to pay anything upfront?

• You don't have to pay for your course upfront.
• If you're a full-time student ordinarily resident in England or an EU student, and this is your first degree, you can get a government loan to cover your tuition fees. Other awards and financial support are also available.

When do I start paying it back?

• Not until you're earning over £21,000 a year.

How much will I pay per month?

• Whatever you've borrowed, you only repay 9% of your income above £21,000. So if you earn £25,000 you would repay £6.92 a week (i.e. 9% of £4,000/ 52 weeks).
• If your salary drops below the £21,000 threshold, you stop paying until it increases again.

How do I pay?

• Directly from your salary via the tax system.

How much interest will I pay?

• Interest on the loan is applied at the rate of inflation until you reach the payment threshold of £21,000.
• The maximum interest you pay is the rate of inflation plus 3%. Only graduates earning above £41,000 will be charged the full amount.

 

See the Direct Gov website| for details

How long will it take me to pay it back?

 

• It depends how much you earn. But if after 30 years you haven't paid it all off, the amount you have left to pay will be written off by the government.