1. UCAS – Managing your Application and Student Finance Hannah Collins HE and Work Experience Coordinator

2. UCAS – Managing your Application  Recap on process  UCAS ‘Track’  Applicant Open Days  Holding offers  No offers  Student Finance

3. Recap  Able to apply to make 5 choices  Universities will make individual decisions on your application  Hold 2 offers Conditional Firm Conditional Insurance CONDITIONS BUILT AROUND THE COURSE(S) YOU ARE STUDYING

4. UCAS Track UCAS ‘Apply’ o How you made the application UCAS ‘Track’ o allows you to manage your application online o method by which you hold offers o keep all informed of changes of personal details e.g. address, mobile phone etc. o http://www.ucas.tv/ucas/video/7Njsb http://www.ucas.tv/ucas/video/7Njsb

5. Holding offers  Up to 2 offers: Conditional Firm (1 st choice) Conditional Insurance (back up choice)  Commitment on both sides  Offers have to be held by the date that UCAS will give you  You will lose your offers if you miss that deadline date  If you applied by the 15 th of January you should have all your decisions by March 31 st

6. UCAS - Reply by dates Last decision byReply date 31 March 2014 7 May 2014 5 June 2014 7 June 201426 June 2014 18 July 201424 July 2014

7. Factors to consider – holding offers  Right course and university for you – aim to visit at least your proposed Firm and Insurance choices  Level of the offer – grades required from you – can you meet them?  Conditional Insurance should be a back up – generally lower grades

8. What if I need to add or change a qualification?  Contact all 5 Universities to let them know

9. Applicant Open Days Chance to find out more about The Course Accommodation & Facilities The UniversityThe FacultyThe Offer

10. Ask for advice if……..  Need interview preparation  Offer letter doesn’t make sense  Need advice on CF and CI choices  Receive no offers and become eligible for UCAS Extra

11. Looking ahead  Higher Education Student Finance: Presentation in class on the principles Open now and for an on time application need to complete by 30 May 2014 www.direct.gov.uk  Accommodation – initial letters of choice  Bursary/Scholarship information (including NHS)– sent by post when you get the offer or visit the direct.gov.uk website.  Results time – We’re here for you.

12. What to do if you don’t get into your desired course

13. Step 1: Get Feedback  You have a right to feedback from the university, so contact them and ask.  Sometimes it may be because of a misunderstanding (i.e. missing qualifications off UCAS form).  Feedback should be used constructively to help you plan your next steps.

14. Work out what you want to do next  Do you still want to study that course? If yes then look at why you got rejected.  Why did you choose the course? Is it something you have researched?  Do you want to go to university?

15. If You Still Want To Go To University…

16. No offers at all?  UCAS ‘Extra’  Comes on stream from 25th February till 2 nd July for eligible applicants  UCAS prompts you if eligible  Add one more choice  Please come for advice if you enter ‘Extra’

17. You can apply for...  The same course at a different university.  A different course at a different university  The same universities for a different course.  NOT a course and uni you have already applied for!

18. What if I apply for a different course in Extra  You may have to send a new personal statement via email. Call up the university and ask if they require this and if so, who to send to.

19. What if I don’t find a place in Extra?  Clearing is live on results day in August (14 th of August).  Allows you to look for places that have become available.

20. What if I don’t get a place during clearing?  Work out your aims and make sure you have researched them.  If you want to go to uni: Use feedback to determine what you need to do to in order to get in (i.e. take a year of study or work and reapply).  If you don’t want to go to university research what else is available.

21. Not sure what to do next?  Research different Careers: Nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk  Speak to me!

22. https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/

23. Internships / Work experience  Can be paid or unpaid. Relevant work experience if essential for some jobs. Suggested summer internship companies….

24. The City Brokerage  Paid summer internships in the City in IT, Business, Finance, Law & Marketing. (Can be done before uni!)  Need to have a B in Maths.  Also have a College Leaver programme for students wanting to get straight intop work and have a C in Maths and English GCSE.  More info here: http://www.thebrokerage.org.uk/student-opportunities or email: melissa@thebrokerage.org.uk http://www.thebrokerage.org.uk/student-opportunities

25. YINI – Year In Industry  Gap year work provider which helps you find paid jobs in STEM subjects and IT for a year including training.  http://www.etrust.org.uk/year_in_i ndustry.cfm http://www.etrust.org.uk/year_in_i ndustry.cfm  Or email Alex Price a.price@etrust.org.uk

26. STUDENT FINANCE 2014/15

27. SESSION CONTENTS i Section 1 – The Student Finance Package Section 2 – Student Loan Repayments Section 3 – Applications & Information Questions & Comments

28. HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW? ?

29. *Eligible English domiciled students studying at a publicly funded university or college Q *What’s the maximum tuition fee universities or colleges can charge new students in 2014/15? Q How much of this will you need to pay up front before you go to uni or college? A £9,000 A £0 HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW? TUITION FEES ?

30. Q How much do you need to earn before you start paying back your student loans? Q After you graduate, your income is £25,000 a year, what would your monthly repayments be? A £21,000 A £30 HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW? REPAYMENTS ?

31. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE SECTION 1

32. Bursaries & Scholarships Tuition Fee Loan Maintenance (Living Cost) Support Additional Support The Student Finance Package THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS INCLUDES: 1

33. TUITION FEES & LOANS SECTION 1

34. Universities and colleges* can charge new full-time students up to £9,000 per year (£6,750 part-time) for tuition fees. Eligible students won’t have to pay any tuition fees up front. A Tuition Fee Loan is available to cover the fee charged by the university or college (up to £6,000 for approved courses at private providers). Tuition Fee Loan doesn’t depend on household income. SFE pay any Tuition Fee Loan directly to your university or college. The loan is repayable, but only when your income is over £21,000. *Publicly funded TUITION FEES AND LOANS 1

35. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SECTION 1

36. Maintenance support is available to help with your living costs while in higher education. Two main types of support are available, Maintenance Loan and Maintenance Grant. The Maintenance Loan is repayable and all eligible students are entitled to get some funding. The amount of loan available will depend on where you live and study. Maintenance support is paid directly into your bank account each term. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 1

37. Where you Live & StudyMaximum Loan Available Parental Home Live at home £4,418 Elsewhere Live away from home and study outside of London £5,555 London Live away from home and study in London £7,751 Overseas Study overseas as part of a UK course £6,600 MAINTENANCE LOAN 2014/15 MAXIMUM RATES Additional loan is available for each extra week of study for students attending their course beyond 30 weeks. 1

38. The Maintenance Grant doesn’t have to be repaid. How much grant you can get depends on your household income (100% means tested). Household income thresholds for 2014/15: MAINTENANCE SUPPORT Household Income: Up to £25,000 Household Income: Up to £42,620 Full Grant of £3,387 Partial Grant MAINTENANCE GRANT 1

39. Household Income Maintenance Grant Maintenance Loan Total £25,000 & under£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£5,530£5,580 £42,875£0£5,555 £50,000£0£4,836 £62,132 & over£0£3,610 COMBINED MAINTENANCE SUPPORT LIVING AWAY FROM HOME, OUTSIDE LONDON You can get a quick estimate of your student finance entitlement using the calculator on gov.uk/studentfinancegov.uk/studentfinance 1

40. BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS SECTION 1

41. Many universities and colleges offer financial support to their students through bursaries and scholarships. Bursaries: linked to personal circumstances and often, household income awards can include fee waivers or cash Scholarships: can be linked to academic results or outstanding ability in an area such as sport, music or art can be subject specific and are limited in numbers BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS 1 Check university websites and ask at open days for information on bursaries & scholarships

42. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SECTION 1

43. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Have a child or an adult who depends on you financially: Full-time students in higher education with an adult who depends on them financially can apply for an Adult Dependents' Grant of up to £2,642. Childcare Grant In 2014 to 2015 you can apply for: up to £150.23 a week for 1 child up to £257.55 a week for 2 or more children Have a disability, long-term health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty (Disabled Students Allowance) ADDITIONAL SUPPORT EXTRA SUPPORT MAY BE AVAILABLE IF YOU: 1

44. Study an NHS or Social Work course? Social Work: Currently £4575 year 2 and year 3 (not guaranteed) NHS courses include: nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics, radiography, the later stages of medicine and dentistry For more information on eligibility and applications for NHS support go to www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/studentswww.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students

45. New NHS students can get up to: £1,000 grant from the NHS £3,263 maintenance loan from Student Finance England £5,460 bursary from the NHS Can’t get Tuition Fee loan! Will be a question on student finance form about this. Apply when you have a confirmed place 4th March earliest, 22nd Aug latest.

46. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS SECTION 2

47. You won’t make repayments until your income is over £21,000 a year gross (before tax). Full-time students will be due to start repaying in the April after graduating from/leaving their higher-education course. You’ll repay 9% of your income over £21,000 and if you’re employed deductions will be made from your pay through the HMRC tax system. If your income falls to £21,000 or below your repayments will stop. Any outstanding loan balance will be written off 30 years after entering repayment. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS AN OVERVIEW 2

48. Income each year before tax Income from which 9% is deducted Monthly Repayment (Approx) £21,000£0 £25,000£4,000£30 £30,000£9,000£67 £35,000£14,000£105 £40,000£19,000£142 £45,000£24,000£180 £50,000£29,000£217 £60,000£39,000£292 STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS THE FIGURES Interest will be applied to your loan at a maximum rate of RPI +3% More info can be found on www.studentloanrepayment.co.ukwww.studentloanrepayment.co.uk 2

49. Interest IncomeInterest rate While you’re studying Rate of inflation (Retail Price Index) plus 3% £21,000 or lessRate of inflation £21,000 to £41,000 Rate of inflation plus up to 3% £41,000 and overRate of inflation plus 3%

50. APPLICATIONS & INFORMATION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq7RsIzaxKI SECTION 3

51. Each year thousands of students apply late for their finance and have no way to pay for their course or halls, some even have to drop out.....don’t let that be you! It will take at least six weeks* to process your application so apply early! Apply online now at gov.uk/studentfinance to make sure your student finance is in place for the start of your course. You don’t need a confirmed place at university or college to apply for student finance. Apply with your first choice, you can change details later if you need to. STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS APPLY EARLY 3 *SFE handle over 1 million applications a year, most involve interactions with other government departments, eg HMRC

52. May The application deadline for new students is 30 May 2014 30 th Student finance applications can be made from 20 January 2014* 20 th Jan STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS APPLICATION DATES - NEW STUDENTS *Returning students should wait to hear from SFE before re-applying for their finance 3

53. www.gov.uk/studentfinance GOV.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO APPLY 3

54. Before starting the application, you should have the following to hand: passport - SFE can check identity using valid UK passport details for most students university and course details – remember apply with your first choice initially so your application can be assessed as soon as possible bank account details National Insurance (NI) number parent’s or partner’s NI number and income details For most applications, SFE verify income from your parents/partners NI numbers with no need to send any documents, unless we ask for them STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS INFORMATION YOU’LL NEED TO PROVIDE 3

55. www.thestudentroom.co.uk/studentfinance THE STUDENT ROOM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION & RESOURCES 3

56. Important to make the right university/college and course choice!! Tuition Fee Loans are available to all eligible students and future repayments are linked to your income, not what you owe Research all finance available – especially bursaries & scholarships Apply on-line & on time – no need to wait for a confirmed place Application deadline for new students 30 th May 2014!! Check all details are correct before submitting your application KEY MESSAGES POINTS TO BE CLEAR ON i Student Finance Matters... Apply Now!! And remember that....

57. QUESTIONS & COMMENTS ?

58. NEED MORE INFORMATION? i i For further Information on student finance and applications go to: www.gov.uk/studentfinance For a range of helpful tools and guidance, visit: www.thestudentroom.co.uk/studentfinance

59. Any questions? Hannah Collins Hannah.collins@tower.ac.uk 0207 510 7779 Hannah.collins@tower.ac.uk