Tuition Fee Loans

Tuition fees are more competitive at UCW than at most traditional universities and, regardless of where a student goes to university, they do not need to be paid in advance or during the course of studies. Students can take out a loan to cover the cost of tuition fees, which is paid directly to their university on their behalf.

Maintenance Loans

Students will also need money for accommodation, food, transport, additional course fees and other living expenses. The Student Loans Company provides Maintenance Loans to help pay for these expenses. For 2023/24, students not living with their parents can borrow up to £9,978 for the year; those living at home can borrow up to £8,400. This funding is paid directly to students in three instalments at the start of each term. 

How much will be loaned?

Tuition Fee Loans are non-means tested, whereas the size of a Maintenance Loan is partially determined by the finances of either the student, their partner, or their parents, depending on their circumstances. The Student Loans Company calculate the size of Maintenance Loans by looking into the income of a student’s parents (including a parent’s spouse/partner if the student lives with them). If a student is married or aged over 25 and living with their partner, then the income of the student’s spouse/partner will be assessed to determine the size of the Maintenance Loan.

Students who are classed as having ‘Independent Status’ will not receive a Maintenance Loan based on their parents’ or partner’s income. This applies to students who meet any of the following criteria:

• Aged over 25 at the start of the academic year
• Have been married prior to the start of the academic year
• Supported themselves for at least three years
• Have no living parents
• Are responsible for a child/children
• Are estranged from their parents

Repaying the loans

Upon finishing the course and graduating, the Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan are bundled together and start to accrue interest. Repayment takes the form of 9% of income above  £25,000. This repayment is taken even if a student did not finish their degree.

1. Register your details at www.gov.uk/studentfinance.
2. Answer the security questions, create a password and write down the Customer Reference Number somewhere safe as it will be needed every time you log in.
3. Go step-by-step through the application process and remember to save as you go. You can always log in and change the information you have entered.
4. Use the links to UCAS to drag information into your Student Finance application.
5. When asked about your university choices, use the details of your first choice, especially if it is for a London university as you will be entitled to a bigger loan. If you change your mind, you will still be able to change this at a later date.
6. The system can verify your identity using your passport number. If you don’t have a passport

   you can scan and upload your original birth certificate to your student finance account.

7. Once you have completed the application and checked all the sections, you can submit it. Check its progress using your password and Customer Reference Number.

8. If you do not qualify for ‘Independent Status’, you will need to provide your parents’ or guardians’ financial details for the previous tax year. This can be done either online or via a paper application. Proof of income may be required.
9. If you are married, your partner’s income will need to be assessed or, if you have ‘Independent Status’, you will be assessed based on your own income.
10. We recommend that you give ‘consent to share’ so that your university can assess you for additional financial support.
11. Complete the Student Finance England PN1 form (which can be found on its website) if you prefer not to apply online.

There are other sources of funding for parents, carers, those with learning difficulties or disabilities, and those who are care leavers.

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

Students with a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difference (SpLD) may be entitled to DSA. This support is calculated based upon needs, not income. DSA does not have to be repaid and can be used to pay for any required additional support, equipment or resources, for example: specialist equipment or computer software; a one-to-one study skills tutor; non-medical helpers; or any extra travel fees. UCW students should contact the Learning Support Team on support@ucw.ac.uk for more information and help with the application process.

Other funding for parents and carers

Students with children or other dependents may be entitled to other funding:

• Parents’ Learning Allowance: up to £1,915 a year, dependent on household income.
• Childcare Grant: up to £188.90 a week for one child in approved childcare, or up to £323.85 a week for two or more children.
• Adult Dependents’ Grant: students with an adult who financially depends on them (other than their adult children) may be entitled to a grant worth up to £3,354.

Carer and care leaver support

UCW may be able to provide additional financial support to care leavers, young carers and people who are estranged from their parents.

Please contact Jess on jess.darby@weston.ac.uk or Hollie on hollie.wait@weston.ac.uk for more information.

Short-term Loans

UCW also offers Short-term Loans of up to £150 to help students who require emergency financial assistance. Apply for these by contacting UCW’s Student Finance Officer on finance@ucw.ac.uk or 01934 422 757.

UCW Bursary

UCW offers 50 bursaries of £2,000 each to students with a declared household income below £25,000 per annum. Because of the limited number, priority will be given to those experiencing multiple factors of financial hardship, such as those from the lowest income households who are also from a disadvantaged background, such as: single parents; care leavers or young carers; being estranged and living in an accredited Foyer; having a disability; or coming from an area with a low participation in higher education. This bursary is spread equally across the years of study, and can be paid in cash instalments in November and February, used as a fee waiver, or be in-kind support for accommodation, for example. Please note that to be eligible for this bursary, UCW students must be enrolled on a full-time and directly-funded Bath Spa University or UWE Bristol course with tuition fees of £8,900 per year. Find out the status of your course here. Applicants must have their student finance application approved by the middle of October to be able to be assessed for a bursary.

Excellence Scholarship

Students who achieve A Levels at ABB or a BTEC Extended Diploma at DDM are eligible to receive £350 in three instalments. The funds are paid in the November and February of the first year of study and the November of the second year. All full-time UCW students are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Progression Scholarship

Students who completed a Level 3 course at Weston College within the five years preceding the commencement of their UCW course are eligible to receive £300. The funds are paid in three instalments in the November and February of the first year of study and the November of the second year. All full-time UCW students who meet the above criteria are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Federation of Schools Scholarship

One UCW student who has progressed from a local College or Sixth Form will be awarded £300. The funds are paid in three instalments in the November and February of the first year of study and the November of the second year. All full-time UCW students who meet the above criteria are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

International Work Placement Scholarship

UCW students on any course who undertake overseas work placements at additional costs are eligible to apply for up to £500.

The Michael Scoines Joy of Music Scholarship

Weston College and UCW are pleased to be able to offer both FE and HE Music students the opportunity to apply for the Michael Scoines Joy of Music Scholarship.

This Scholarship has been set up in memory of a previous student; Michael Scoines.  

Michael was born in London in 1952, and throughout his life he had a passion for drawing; he became an artist and travelled through Europe during the 1970s. He moved to Weston-super-Mare in 1980 and enjoyed living in North Somerset for forty years. Michael began his rehabilitation in Weston and Music played a crucial part in his recovery from addiction.  Michael studied a BTEC in Music Technology at Weston College and then progressed to study the Foundation Degree in Music Production at UCW.  Michael sadly passed away from lung cancer in February 2020, and his family would like to support students studying Music at FE and HE level as it had a hugely beneficial effect on Michael’s quality of life, health, and well-being.

Michael always loved music and his family hope this fund can help others break the cycle of addiction and find solace and inspiration in the creative and performing arts.

There are twelve Scholarships of £500 available to Weston College and UCW students (to be paid in two instalments – November and February). To be eligible to apply for this Scholarship students will need to be enrolled upon a Music course at either Weston College or UCW and must have an attendance of above 85%. Consideration will be given to students that are experiencing personal or financial barriers to education; however, all applications will be considered and assessed on their own merit.  The closing date for applications is the 14^th October 2022.

To apply for this Scholarship, please click here to complete the application form

For further information on this Scholarship please contact finance@ucw.ac.uk.

Part-time Scholarship

Non-sponsored and part-time UCW students are eligible for a scholarship of £1,500 spread across three years of study. The funds can either be paid in instalments in the November and February of each year of study, or used as a fee waiver.

Bath Spa University bursaries

Bath Spa University is providing awards worth up to £4,000 each, split over three years, to eligible new first-year students in 2023/24:

• Students must must have a home address in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students

• Household income must be assessed and evidenced by Student Finance as below £15,000, £25,000 or £42,875

• Domiciled in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

• Must be a first time undergraduate in the first year (including foundation year) of study

• Must not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Part-time students, if eligible, will receive a bursary award that is proportional to their intensity of study. Students who repeat a year will not be entitled to a Bath Spa University Bursary Scheme award in that year. Full-time students are automatically assessed for this award based on information from Student Finance if they have applied for a means-based maintenance loan and have consented to share their financial information. For more information, email bursaries@bathspa.ac.uk or visit www.bathspa.ac.uk. Please also note that to be eligible for this bursary, UCW students must be enrolled on an indirectly-funded Bath Spa University course.

If you have had to suspend, withdraw from or repeat a year of study due to genuine personal reasons, you may be able to apply for Student Finance’s Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR). Student Finance can offer additional years of funding if they deem your circumstances to have affected your ability to study. You will still be financially liable for any original years of study.

Student Finance generally offers three years of funding for a full time undergraduate degree plus a gift year, which can be used for circumstances like repeating a year of study (if your course is longer than three years, Student Finance will offer funding for the duration of the course plus a gift year).

If you do not have enough funding to complete your studies, and have genuine personal reasons, you may be able to apply for CPR to access additional years of funding. For part time courses, Student Finance offer up to twelve years of funding, with no gift year.

What do Student Finance class as a CPR?

It will depend on the individual student’s circumstances and Student Finance’s discretion. If your ability to study has been affected by personal circumstances such as ill health or bereavement and you have had to suspend, withdraw or repeat studies, you may be entitled to CPR.

How do I apply for CPR?

To apply for CPR, you must write a covering letter to Student Finance, stating your reasons for applying for CPR, how this has affected your ability to study, and provide eligible evidence to support your application (e.g. a letter from a GP, social services or an upstanding person in the community, medical records or death certificate).

For support and information on how to apply for CPR, please contact UCW’s Student Finance Officer Hollie Wait at finance@ucw.ac.uk.

Repeating part of your studies can affect your entitlement to Student Finance funding, so it’s important to find out the information beforehand to consider your options and access support.

How many years of funding can I get from Student Finance if I repeat a year?

Student Finance generally offer three years of funding for a full-time undergraduate degree plus a gift year, which can be used for circumstances like repeating a year of study (if your course is longer than three years, Student Finance will offer funding for the duration of the course plus a gift year).

For part time-courses, Student Finance offer up to twelve years of funding, with no gift year.

What if I have previously repeated a year of study during my degree?

Repeating a year of study again will affect how many years of funding you can get with Student Finance. Every year of repeat study will class as a year of funding, so this will reduce how many years of funding you will have.

What if I have previously studied on another higher education course?

If you have previously studied on another higher education course, but did not complete the qualification, this will be deducted from your Student Finance entitlement. For example, if you studied at an university for a short time, withdrew and began a new course a year later, it would be calculated as four years of funding (three years + one gift year – one year of previous study = three years of funding left).

What if I have personal or medical reasons that affected my ability to pass the year of study?

If you have genuine personal reasons (for example a family circumstance or health issue) that affected your ability to pass the year, and therefore you need to retake, you can apply for Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR) with Student Finance. Please see the next dropdown for more information.

What if I don’t have enough years of funding from Student Finance to complete my studies?

If CPR does not apply to you, and you do not have enough years of funding to complete your studies, there may be some alternatives options.

For support and information, please contact UCW’s Student Finance Officer Hollie Wait at finance@ucw.ac.uk.

What if I need to repeat just one or a couple of modules?

If you need to repeat no more than 40 credits, you can trail this module through to your next year of study, which imposes no additional financial implications. If you need to retake more than 40 credits there are two options for repeating a year of study:

• Studying full-time, in which your fees will be charged on a pro rata basis.
• Studying part time, in which you will be charged the part-time fees figure.

Get your student finance application sorted

Submit your student finance application ASAP – don’t leave it until the last minute! Otherwise, you may have to wait for Student Finance to assess your application after you’ve begun your course, potentially leaving you out of pocket. Check your online account to see if you need to send any evidence to Student Finance or complete applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance or dependants’ grants. Also, check if your parents or partner need to submit their financial information for assessment.

Come prepared

Your first Student Finance payment will take three to five working days from enrolment to be paid into your bank account, so it’s best to come with some funds ready to pay for things like food, a bus pass and social events.

Consider a student bank account

Banks offer student accounts which come with benefits such as 0% interest overdrafts or freebies (e.g. 16-25 rail card). Although an overdraft can seem daunting, it may be useful to have one for financial emergencies. Don’t assume that your current bank’s student account is the best, shop around to find the right one for you.

Start to budget

Budgeting will help you to manage your money over each term, prioritising the essentials (e.g. rent, bills and food) and giving you a clear idea of how much money you have to spend each month. You can use websites, apps, spreadsheet or grab a paper copy from the HEART office to keep on top of your spending.

Apply for UCW scholarships

You could receive up to £350 during your studies to help towards costs! UCW students who are paying their fees via Student Finance may be entitled to a scholarship. Details of the scholarships and their eligibility criteria can be found in the 2023/24 finance booklet or on the finance page of our website. We will give you information about how to apply for these during the induction talk at enrolment week.