Am I Entitled To Anything?

welshchick_2

Hi all

I am 28 and am going to uni this year to do my BA Hons in Youth and Community Studies, i work for a local authority who are paying my fee's. It will be a full time course over three years but it is only one day a week, i have a job which will count towards my fieldwork so will still be earning approx £17500 per year. My question is would i be entitled to any student loans, grants etc?

Many thanks

Hayley

SuziQ

Am bumping this up for you as noone has anwsered yet!

Sounds like you are already getting a great deal though.

jay11_2

From what I remember, seconded students on my access course weren't entitled to anything, since they were getting their usual salary (just as you wouldn't get grants etc when working). Might be worth checking situation with council tax though, since f/t students have exemption.

Your best bet is probably to fill in a grant/loan application form, they have sections for details of earned and unearned (I suspect your salary will fall into this category) income, and come with guidance notes to help you fill them in correctly.

freebiequeen84

As far as I know, you are not entitled to anything. If you pay your own fees you can have up to near enough £1400 a year, but most of this is a fee grant which gets paid directly to the university. So even if you did get the grant, the only person benefiting would be your employer, as they would have less fees to pay on your behalf.

As you are having your fees paid, and still earning a decent wage, you shouldn't end up out of pocket by much.

Also, as a part time student, you aren't entitled to discount on Council Tax either.

HTH.
x

rachpoppy

My husband and I are also about to embark on a 'full-time' Bsc degree. We, like you are only needed to attend one day a week but the course is still classed as full time.

I would say it's definately worth applying to your local education authority for finance/grants etc. At the end of the day if you're not entitled to it you won't get anything but we have personally received both grants and support. The funding is based on individual circumstances/dependants/earnings/financial obligations so give it a try, what have you got to lose! We have also today, contacted our local council to see if we are entitled to Council Tax discount of which we have been told we are. Hope this helps.

Blacksheep1979

I think it's a bit greedy that you're getting all your fees paid for, have a 17.5k wage and are still trying to get more. There's plenty of people out there that get nowhere near what you're getting.

welshchick_2

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

I think it's a bit greedy that you're getting all your fees paid for, have a 17.5k wage and are still trying to get more. There's plenty of people out there that get nowhere near what you're getting.

I think thats a bit unfair, i am a single parent, i have worked since i was 17, working three jobs trying to keep a roof over me and my daughters head. I still have a £600 mortgage to pay, i will be going to uni, working 3 nights and 4 days. I am asking because i am trying to make a better life for me and my daughter, and whilst i have to go to uni to enable me to get a better job in the future, i would still like to spend some time with my daughter and if i could get any grants i would be able to give up the three nights work. I have paid tax since i was 17, so i think i am entitled to grants etc as much as anyone else on here!!!

welshchick_2

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated!

dmg24

welshchick wrote: »

I think thats a bit unfair, i am a single parent, i have worked since i was 17, working three jobs trying to keep a roof over me and my daughters head. I still have a £600 mortgage to pay, i will be going to uni, working 3 nights and 4 days. I am asking because i am trying to make a better life for me and my daughter, and whilst i have to go to uni to enable me to get a better job in the future, i would still like to spend some time with my daughter and if i could get any grants i would be able to give up the three nights work. I have paid tax since i was 17, so i think i am entitled to grants etc as much as anyone else on here!!!

To be fair to Blacksheep1979, you did not state any of that in your original post. I read the first post as you being a single person without children.

I assume that you are in receipt of tax credits in addition to your salary?

blueopal5577

I would imagine youre entitled to a student loan for maintenance and possibly the maintenance grant, since your last years income is under £18,000 (presumably?) and your course is full-time. You may be entitled to a Special Support Grant, instead of the usual maintenance grant. This is usually given to single parents and so on, and benefits agencies do not take it into account as income. CAB will know more and the university's finance department.

Gemmzie

Which university is this at? I'm studying that course too. Amazed to hear it's only one day a week.

If you are definitely full-time and it's your first degree then you get the usual student loan, grant. No council tax to pay.

But, there are several people on my course in this position and it seems that you start paying back your loans (as you earn over £15k) from the end of your first year. So you'll be paying it back while you're still a student during your second and third years.