tuition fees for placement students

catherinemohan

Hey!!

I'm just about to start a placement year as part of my uni course and I know I have to pay some percentage of tuition fees. I get paid roughly £14,000 for the year so obviously will have to pay tax (although I am oficially still a student) Just wondering whether I will be able to claim the money paid for tuition fees against my tax bill??

Also do I have to pay council tax? Like I say I am oficially still a student but I am earning and living in an area completely different to my Uni??

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Catxx

greyster

No, no CT.

Don't know about the tax bill, someone else will be able to answer. You won't be paying that much tax anyway.

How much fees are you paying? I paid only £500 for my year in 2002.

MinniMe_2

No have to agree there is no way of getting it back.

our uni only made you pay half fee's for the year though

Sillychuckie

drop out of uni for a year now that you have secured your placement (assuming its ok with your employer).
don't pay the uni fees, but make sure (and get it in writing) that the uni are happy for you to rejoin next year.
assuming the placement isnt a mandatory part of your degree, this has many benefits (and is what I and many of my friends did last year).

im also assuming you found the job yourself and the uni didnt get it for you/help you. if they did, its a little rude to do the above.

ftbworried

Sillychuckie wrote:

drop out of uni for a year now that you have secured your placement (assuming its ok with your employer).
don't pay the uni fees, but make sure (and get it in writing) that the uni are happy for you to rejoin next year.
assuming the placement isnt a mandatory part of your degree, this has many benefits (and is what I and many of my friends did last year).

There are also a few downsides of doing this....

* You won't get the 'with Industrial Experience' add-on on your degree title.
* You won't get the support of your uni whil out on placement. They often mediate between you and your employer if there is a problem.
* Your employer doesn't have to stick to the terms and conditions that you uni usually send them to sign for taking one of their students on placement.

I paid half fees while out on industry in 2004, I didnt claim them back against my tax- it just never occured to me because it wasn't that much. Just be glad that your not an international student. My colleague had to pay half international fees while out on placement which equated to £4000!

Rad

If you drop out and rejoin your course you will be liable for council tax, which depending on how big a house and who your sharing with, could be more expensive than paying part-fees for a year.

With regards to your placement, one thing to look out for is that in May 2007 your tax code doesn't change to one that assumes that you are going to earn £14000 that tax year (ie work all year). There are forms that you can fill out if you’ve got a fixed term contact and going to only be working for part of the financial year but I can't remember the code at the moment. It’s much easier to fill them in at the start of the year rather than trying to claim back the tax afterwards.

markb23

agree with greyster.....