Frequently asked questions about....funding & benefits
How much student loan can I get?
How much student loan you can get depends on your circumstances. If you have done any studying above A-Levels before your current course, or have had resits, you should definitely come and see us. There are many booklets explaining what you are entitled to - check our links page for country specific information.
My brother gets a grant but I don't, what's going on?
Student Funding changed at the start of the 2006/07 academic year. If you started before then and someone you know started afterwards, the funding available is very different (Unless you deferred your entry from 2005/6). Come and see us to get a full description of funding available to you.
What is the MMU Bursary?
The MMU bursary is available to all students paying the new £3,225 tuition fees. It is worth up to £1,000 depending on your financial circumstances. It is a grant and is non-repayable. Although it is assessed by the university and the money comes from the university, the money is actually paid by the Student Loan Company and you apply by signing a part of your student funding application form (PN1/PR1) to allow the information to be shared with the university. If you owe money to the university, or want to know how the bursary will affect your benefits, you should contact us.
I've decided to withdraw from my course, what effect will that have on my money?
You will not normally receive any further student funding when the Student Loan Company receives notification of your withdrawal from the University. In addition, they are claiming back any overpayments (calculated based on actual numbers of days on the course). You should also be aware that the funding you have received will affect what you can receive in the future, come and see us for more information. Remember that any amount of time on a course will count as previous study, although if you withdraw before the 1st December, the Student Loan Company will not release your fee loan/grant.
I want to change my course, what effect will this have on my funding?
This depends very much on when you are transferring, how many years of support you have already recieved, what year of a course you are transferring into and what courses you are transferring to and from. You should
come and see us to discuss the funding implications before making any firm decisions.
What's this Hardship Fund thingy?
The Hardship Fund's official title is The Access to Learning Fund - known affectionately as ALF. It is a non-repayable grant aimed at students in financial hardship to enable them to continue in Higher Education. It is administered by the Student Financial Support Office of the University, although we can and do help students to apply. More information can be found at the
ALF web pages, and you can
pick forms up from us or the Student Information Point.
What are my Financial Notification and Payment Schedule?
The Financial Notification is sent by your Local Authority (or Student Finance England) and explains what student support you will get for the year. It comes with a cover letter and the tables showing your entitlement. The sheet with the tables showing your entitlement is the sheet needed when people ask for your Financial Notification. You only get one copy which is often handed into the university on enrolment. It is a good idea to take a copy before handing it in, although you can obtain further copies by phoning your Local Authority or Student Finance Direct, or by printing one off from the Student Finance Direct website.
The Payment Schedule is sent by the Student Loan Company and gives the dates of when payments will be made. This does not break down the actual type of support received, only when it will be paid. As such, it is useful for your own information, but not so useful for other organisations unless they specifically ask for it.
How do I download my Financial Notification?
The Student Finance Direct website allows you to download and print out various pieces of correspondence. To log in you need your ART ID, secret password and secret answer. If you have forgotten your password or secret answer, you can get new ones sent to the email address registered with Student Finance England. If you are logging in with a new password and answer for the first time, you will be asked to change the password and secret answer to something you can remember.
Once you have logged in, there is a link on the right called “View Correspondence”. This takes you to a chronological list of letters you have been sent including Financial Notifications. They have two icons next to them – a gif and a pdf. Each of these shows the front and back of the two sheets. This means that page 1 is the cover letter, page 2 is the back of the cover letter (blank) page three is the tables of entitlement and page four holds the end of the tables or is blank. Page 3 (and 4 if appropriate) is the important page to print off.
How am I meant to live on £3.46 and a tin of beans?
If you're concerned about how much you have to live on, then come into the Advice Centre. We can check that you are receiving the correct amount of funding and help you to apply for the Access to Learning Fund. We can also help you with budgetting advice. You could also look at our
Money Management booklet.
Can I claim benefits?
Who are you? Which benefits are you thinking of? There are so many different situations and benefits out there that we cannot answer this in a simple paragraph. Most students can't claim means tested benefits, but there are exceptions to these rules. We can do a complete benefit check and funding forecast for you and discuss your options. We can also help you apply for other sources of funding such as trust funds and the Access to Learning Fund.
I've just finished university but haven't got a job yet, what can I claim?
I've just had a demand for council tax, aren't students exempt?
For the most part, full time students are exempt. Not their partners, or other non-students over 18 living with them. We have many examples in our
Council Tax booklet. In many cases, getting an exemption certificate from your department office and sending it to the council is all that's required. If it's any more complicated than you and a bunch of students for this year, then do
come and see us.
How do I apply for the Child Care Grant?
For most people, the Child Care grant is part of the support offered by the Local Authority. When you fill in your PN1/PR1 form you should have told them about your children. CCG1 is a separate form which allows you to inform them about your Child Care needs. This form asks for an estimate of the cost and your grant is initially based on that. Throughout the year you will have to fill in and return CCG2 forms which ask for actual amounts paid and receipts so that your grant amount can be finalised and re-calculated.
Is there any other money I can get?
There are hundreds of trust funds out there with varying criteria for eligibility - for example, one might be a fund to help single parents with childcarre costs, another might be for women studying engineering. The
Educational Grants Advisory Service has an online form you can fill out and they will tell you which funds you can apply to. You would then have to apply separately to any funds which come up. Please read any documentation very carefully - paying particular attention to any deadlines.