Funding for Part-time Students

bumblebee_3

Hi Folks,

I can imagine this thread being here before but thought I might as well ask anyway.

Myself and a girl at work are both studying part-time at the local college.

My colleague is doing some modules in preparation for starting her HND in September, she has a small baby and lives with her partner who works full-time.

I am doing my degree part-time, live on my own.

Is there any funds/trust/discounts that could possibly help with paying for these courses? We have both applied for Individual Learning Accounts and have looked into the Stapley Trust but it looks like you have to be doing a
medical degree etc.

Any advice would be appreciated, many thanks :j

hjb123

I was looking into part time funding last summer for courses starting last september and I was struggling, in fact, I couldnt find anything applicable!

I would be interested to know if there is funding for part tiem courses - it is easy enough to find funding for full time courses, well depending on the subject matter

bumblebee_3

I am definitely finding it the same!

The ironic thing is you try to get a qualification to improve your earning capacity but it is difficult to pay for even when you are working. I take it you have applied for an individual learning account too?

hjb123

Well I have been ill for the past 18 months and had been intending to go back to univeristy in september however as it happened I was too ill to do it and still am so I am currenlty doing a distance learning course at home as and when I feel upto it, funded out of my own pocket, I guess it could be worth it in the end though!

bumblebee_3

Thanks Addie that is really helpful will check it out.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Thanks Addie, I was thinking of doing a second degree with Open Uni but was cringing at the cost as it seemed to be loads more expensive than my OU fees were for my first degree. I'll hang on now and see what changes are announced in April.

molotov_3

I did a part time degree and received some funding from education authority. It used to be in the form of a loan but, for my last year, I receive something around £500 which doesnt have to be paid back. This is subject to income and may have changed, but it is better then nothing!

Try: http://studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/GovernmentHelp.htm

lofty9

The problem with part time degrees for 2006/2007 is that the universities have not decided yet how much each module will cost the student. As universities are raising the tuition fee for full time study to £3000 approx(varies in each province) they have not yet disclosed the part time module cost.

Based on last year if you are a single person you would have got up to £885 towards your fees plus £250 grant if you were earning under £14,970. It was part funded if you earned up to a max of 22k.

Students with partners have 2k ignored from their income and a further 2k for the eldest child if any , and a further 1k per child.

You have to be studying at least 50% of the full time degree to avail though.

I would 'think' that the same principles will apply next year in regard to the % of tuition fees.

freebie_junkie

further to the post above, if you are on any one o fa selection of benefits, JSA, IS, housing, council tax, and a few more... your part time grant and fees arent means tested. you can do anything between 50% and 75% off a full-time course. i started off at exactly 50% and as ive gotten better ive got up to 66%. the more you do, the bigger fees grant youre entitled to but teh course costs grant of £250 remains the same.

have you also tried the access to learning fund? how much you get depends upon how many people apply and sometimes you can get an original amount and later on whats left is again shared out amongst the people they feel to be most deservign and you end up with another payment.