When obtaining financial support for your studies, there are several organisations you can try. However, your first enquiries should always be for government financial support. If you find that you do not qualify for this type of support, then you can try other organisations such as educational trusts and charities. These organisations will want to know that you have exhausted all forms of government funding before they are likely to offer you help.

The type of funding for which you can apply depends on whether you are intending to return to further education or higher education (see Chapter 2 for a description of each of these). It may also depend on whether you intend to study part-time and continue with your job.

GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FURTHER EDUCATION (ENGLAND AND WALES)

There are a number of funds available for adults who wish to study on a further education course. These courses may be either full-time or part-time:

• The College Learner Support Fund is available to help with additional costs such as transport, fees and books, although they are not supposed to cover living expenses. These funds are run by the colleges and are intended to help students of all ages. Funds tend to be allocated on the basis of need, with those in the most severe financial need receiving the most help. Funds are available once you have enrolled on a course. Contact your college welfare officer or student awards officer for more details.
• Educational trusts and charities (see below).
• Career Development Loans (see below).
• The Childcare Support Fund is available to help with the cost of looking after your children while you are studying. If you are applying to a college, find out whether they have childcare funds available, although you may not be able to apply until you’ve actually enrolled. The funds mean that the college can offer free or subsidised childcare places at their own nurseries to lone parents or students on benefit or low incomes. Or they can help you pay for any other registered childcare provider, including nurseries, childminders and after school clubs. These funds are available if your children are under 15 or under 16 if they have a disability.

GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION (ENGLAND AND WALES)

For the purposes of financial support in higher education, the government distinguishes between dependent students and independent students (also referred to as mature students). In this chapter I will concentrate on independent students as most adults returning to education will be classified this way. However, if you are a young adult and dependent on your parents for financial support, contact the student support office of your Local Education Authority (LEA) for details about grants or consult the DfES website www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport.

Independent students are defined as:

• aged over 25
• or have been married before the start of the academic year for which they are applying for support
• or have supported themselves for at least three years
• or have no living parents.

In higher education the Government will offer financial support for the following (all figures quoted refer to the academic year 2004/05):

• Tuition fees – most independent students will receive help with paying their tuition fees. Some pay no tuition fees whatsoever.
• Adult Dependants’ Grant – up to £2,335 a year for an adult who depends on you financially.
• Childcare Grant – up to £114.75 a week for one child, £170 a week for two or more children.
• Higher Education Grant – up to £1,000 a year. This grant is means-tested and depends on the level of family income.
• Access to Learning Fund – this is available for full-and part-time students. Funds are available to help with course-related costs such as books, equipment and childcare. Preference is given to mature students, those on low incomes and students with children.
• Parents’ Learning Allowance – up to £1,330 a year to help with course-related costs for students with dependent children.
• Disabled Students’ Allowance – these are available to help students with disabilities.

Information about all these grants can be obtained from the student support office of your local education authority. The telephone number will be in your local telephone book or can be obtained from www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport. Ask for an application form and a copy of the guide Financial Support for Higher Education Students. The guide can also be obtained by telephoning: (0800) 731 9133.

In addition to these grants, independent students may also apply for a student loan. In 2004/05 the amount of loan available is £4,095 outside London and £5,050 in London. The terms for repaying your loan are the same whether you are a full-time or part-time student. You will not have to start repaying your loan until the April after you have left or finished your course, and the amount you repay will be linked to your income. However, you will not have to make repayments while your income is below the threshold of £15,000 (2005 rates). You are not able to receive a student loan unless you have first applied for government financial support.

As soon as you have received an offer of a place at a higher education institution, you must apply for financial support (see Appendix 1). If you do not, you may be liable to pay your tuition fees which could amount to more than £1,175 a year.

Once you have taken up your place with your chosen learning provider, contact the student service or welfare department as soon as possible as some of the funds available to you will be administered by the institution rather than your LEA.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SCOTTISH HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

The Scottish Executive has introduced non-repayable bursaries for both young and mature students who intend to enter full-time higher education, as well as an additional grant for lone parents with specific childcare needs. All students are also eligible to apply for Hardship Funds and Hardship Loans which are available through the institution at which you have been accepted.

In Scotland a ‘young’ student is defined as:

• not 25 or over on the first day of the first academic year of the course, or
• not married by the first day of the first academic year of the course, or
• has not been self-supporting through earnings or benefits for any three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

If you do not fit into any of the categories above, you will be classed as a mature student and should consider a Mature Students’ Bursary (see below). If you are a young student you may be eligible for a Young Students’ Bursary of up to £2,150 (2004/05). The amount you get will depend on your family income and replaces part of your student loan.

The Mature Students’ Bursary Fund is mainly available to help towards the costs of registered or formal childcare, particularly for lone parents. It may also be possible to apply for a payment to help with housing and travel costs. You apply for the funds through your institution and the amount you will receive will be based on your personal and financial circumstances.

Scottish students are eligible also to apply for student loans (see above) and Career Development Loans (see below).

Further details of the funding available for Scottish students can be obtained from:

POSTGRADUATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT

If you are applying to study on a UK postgraduate course, that is a course which is considered to be above degree level (see Chapter 2), there are six research councils to which you can apply for funds. The following table details the names and addresses, value of funding and examples of the types of programme areas that are funded by each of these councils.

Contact the funding council or consult their website to find out whether you might be eligible for funding. However, as a general rule, to be eligible for a research council award you must be what is called ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK throughout the three years preceding your application. You should also possess a first-class or upper second-class honours degree from a UK higher education institution, although there are exceptions to this rule. Nominations are usually submitted by the institution at which you have been offered a place.

The Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) offers around 1,500 awards each year for Master’s and Doctoral study. In London the awards are £12,500 per year and £10,500 a year outside London (2004/05 rates). Applications for these awards are made through the university. More information can be obtained from:

More details of funding for postgraduate courses can be obtained from www.prospects.ac.uk.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR TEACHER TRAINING

If you are applying for an undergraduate teacher training course, you are eligible to apply for a student loan and you will have your tuition fees paid. Even if you intend to study on a part-time course you are eligible to apply for a full-time student loan. If you intend to teach in one of the secondary shortage subjects you may be eligible to have your loan repaid for you.

Shortage subjects change from year to year. To obtain more information telephone the Teaching Information Line on (0845) 6000 991.

In addition to having your loan repaid for you, it may be possible to qualify also for an additional hardship fund of up to £7,500 if studying in one of these shortage subjects.

If you intend to enter teaching via the postgraduate route, that is, you already have an undergraduate degree, you may be eligible for a training bursary of £6,000 which is not taxable.

Trainee teachers may also be able to apply for the Acess to Learning Fund, help with childcare, travel and other course-related costs.

If you are aged 24 or over you may be interested in finding out about the Graduate Teacher Programme or the Registered Teacher Programme which offer employment based routes into the teaching profession. Grants are available to cover the cost of training and the trainee teacher is paid a wage by the LEA or school providing the training.

Further information about any of the above schemes can be obtained from the DfES Student Support free information line: (0800) 731 9133, or from the Teaching Information Line: (0845) 6000 991. Your Local Education Authority should also be able to provide you with information about student support and additional supplementary grants available to trainee teachers.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR NHS COURSES

NHS bursaries are available for medical and dental students and for full-time and part-time students on health professional courses. The Department of Health booklet Financial Help for Healthcare Students explains NHS funding in more detail and can be obtained from:

For enquiries concerning NHS financial support in England contact:

For enquiries concerning NHS financial support in Wales contact:

For enquiries concerning NHS financial support in Scotland contact:

For enquiries concerning NHS financial support in Northern Ireland contact:

COMBINING LEARNING WITH PAID EMPLOYMENT

If you intend to study part-time whilst you continue with your paid employment, there are other ways you may be able to fund your studies.

• Career Development Loans (CDLs) are available to cover costs such as fees, books and travel. They can be used for any vocational course, including Open University courses and postgraduate qualifications (see below).
• Company sponsorship – if you think the course you wish to study will enhance the work that you do, you may be able to receive sponsorship from your company. Contact your human resources department for further details.
• If you are a member of a trade union, talk to your union’s learning representative who may be able to offer advice on union-supported courses.
• If you are working but on a low or middle income, you may be able to claim the Working Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. For more information pick up a leaflet from your local tax office, Inland Revenue Enquiry Centre or Benefits Agency Office. Leaflets are available also at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk, or you can telephone the Tax Credits helpline on (0845) 609 5000.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT LOANS

If you want to study on a vocational course, that is, the course relates to your employment or your future employment prospects, you can apply for a Career Development Loan (CDL). The CDL programme is operated by the Department for Education and Skills in partnership with three high street banks: Barclays Bank, The Co-Operative Bank and The Royal Bank of Scotland.

CDLs can cover up to 80% of your course fees. However, if you have been out of work for more than three months the loans will cover all of your course fees. You can claim for living expenses only if your course is full-time.

If you want to apply for a CDL and you are claiming state benefits you need to contact your Benefit Office as the loan could affect your entitlement to benefit.

Repayments for CDLs do not have to be made while you are learning. The Department for Education and Skills pays the interest on your loan while you are learning and for a month after your course finishes. You will then start to repay the loan in line with the agreement you have made with the bank.

If you wish to apply for a CDL, you need to do so in good time as decisions can take a while. Ring the Career Development Loan Information Line: (0800) 585 505, approach one of the three high street banks listed above or visit www.lifelonglearning.dfes.gov.uk/cdl/ for more information. For a step-by-step guide to applying for a CDL, see Appendix 2.

THE ADULT EDUCATION BURSARY SCHEME

In the UK there are seven colleges that specialise in providing long-term residential courses for adults (see Chapter 2). A bursary scheme has been set up for adults who enrol on a full-time course of at least a year in length at one of these colleges. Students need to have been offered a place on a certificate or diploma level course and have to be recommended for a bursary.

The colleges offer university type education for adults in a supportive environment within the areas of social sciences and liberal education. Examples of subjects that can be studied include local history, politics, sociology, English literature, media studies and information technology.

Grants are given to students to cover the tuition fees and provide students with a suitable amount of money on which to live for the year. Also a dependants’ allowance is given for those who need extra financial support. For students with disabilities additional grants are available.

If you are interested in studying at one of these colleges and need to find out about the bursary scheme, you are advised to contact the college in which you are interested. Addresses and telephone numbers are listed below. If you require further, general information about the bursary scheme, you can contact:

Adult residential colleges in the UK

THE HELENA KENNEDY BURSARY SCHEME

The Helena Kennedy Bursary Scheme was launched in 1998. It is a registered educational charity and independent limited company established to encourage social inclusion and widening participation in further and higher education. It supports the ‘second chance’ education of individual students by awarding one-off annual bursaries of £1,000. The money is awarded as a ‘contribution towards the direct costs of their commitment to lifelong learning’.

To apply, you need to be studying at a further education college at the time of your application and be intending to undertake a first time programme of higher education the following September. Only one application per institution will be considered.

For further details consult their website or contact:

EDUCATIONAL TRUSTS AND CHARITIES

In the UK there are a variety of educational trusts and charities that offer money in the form of bursaries, grants or loans to adults who wish to return to education. Names and addresses can be found in the Educational Grants Directory (details below) or from www.scholarship-search.org.uk.

If you decide to apply to an educational trust or charity you should first of all make sure that you have exhausted all sources of statutory funding. Trusts and charities will want to know that you have done this and will ask for details of any refusals. You should make sure also that the college to which you are applying does not have its own source of funding that could be offered to you.

When applying to trusts or charities ask only for an appropriate amount – find out how much the organisation usually offers and do not ask for more. You might stand a better chance of being successful in your request if you apply for the funding of something specific such as childcare or travel expenses.

Make sure that you do your research and apply only to the appropriate trust or charity. Many are very specific about what they will and will not fund – some specify age limits, whereas others will only provide funds for students from particular geographical locations or in specific areas of study. It is important not to waste your time filling in application forms which will be refused because you do not meet the funding criteria.

When you fill in an application form, tailor your application to suit the charity and make sure that you provide all the detail requested. Be honest and realistic – don’t be too emotional or try to pull on their heartstrings. Write neatly, be concise and avoid jargon.

If you fail in one application, try another to increase your chances of being successful.

SPONSORSHIP AND BURSARIES

Some employers, especially of large organisations in both the public and private sectors, may provide sponsorship or training bursaries if the proposed course will help improve your work. Approach your human resources department for more details.

SUMMARY

When applying for financial support, you should always exhaust all forms of government financial support before trying other organisations. There are a number of funds available for adults, as the following list illustrates:

• Government financial support for further education (England and Wales)
  • The College Learners Support Fund
  • Career Development Loans
  • The Childcare Support Fund.
• Government financial support for higher education (England and Wales)
  • Tuition Fees
  • Adult Dependants’ Grant
  • Childcare Grant
  • Higher Education Grant
  • Access to Learning Fund
  • Parents’ Learning Allowance
  • Disabled Students’ Allowance
  • Student Loan.
• Financial support for Scottish higher education students
  • Non-repayable Bursaries
  • Career Development Loans
  • Student Loans
  • Hardship Funds/Loans
  • Lone Parent Grant.

Other sources of financial support include:

• educational trusts and charities
• the adult education bursary scheme
• the Helena Kennedy Bursary Scheme
• company sponsorship
• research councils (postgraduate study).

USEFUL ADDRESSES AND WEBSITES

The Educational Grants Advisory Service is an independent advice agency for people who want to obtain funding for further or higher education. It is concerned mainly with providing advice for people who are not eligible for government funding, although it will provide advice on grants and loans if requested.

If you want to find out more about student loans, contact:

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