Fees, Funding and Bursaries

Wiltshire College & University Centre Bursaries

Students studying their first year on one of the following courses at Wiltshire College & University Centre may be eligible for a college bursary:

• HNC/D Engineering
• HND Public Services (Crime and Criminal Justice)
• HNC/D Animal Management (Behaviour and Welfare)
• HND Computing
• HND Creative Media Production (VFX)
• HND Sport and Exercise Science (Coaching Science)

Students who are studying an undergraduate course through one of our University partners (Bournemouth University or Oxford Brookes University) may be able to get funding from the University. These students should contact their University directly to discuss this.

For those studying on one of the above eligible courses, there are 2 different awards available, as follows:

Progression Award

For students progressing from Wiltshire College & University Centre level 3 provision onto Higher Education courses within WCUC.

Other eligibility criteria include;

Household income of under £25,000 per annum

Studying your first year on one of the above courses

Achieved a level 3 qualification from Wiltshire College & University Centre within the last five years

Ordinarily resident in the UK

How much will I receive?

Course Type - HND/HNC, Full-Time Amount - £500, Part-Time Amount - 50% intensity equivalent £250

Wiltshire College & University Centre Bursary

The Wiltshire College & University Centre Bursary is available to support students from low-income households registered on the eligible courses listed earlier.

Other eligibility criteria include:

Household income assessed of under £16,000.

Studying your first year of on one of the listed courses

Ordinarily resident in the UK.

You must be responsible for your own fees, and they must not be sponsored by an employer or charity.

You may also need to meet one or more of the following criteria to be considered for the bursary.

You are a care leaver or looked after child

You or your family are in receipt of a means-tested benefit

You are in receipt of ESA or DLA

You are from low participation to higher education neighbourhood

How much will I receive?

Course Type - HND/HNC, Full-Time Amount - £500, Part-Time Amount - 50% intensity equivalent £250

Students are not eligible for either award if they are:

Ordinarily resident of the EU or overseas.

Studying a top-up qualification or their second or third year

Studying part-time at less than 25% intensity of the full-time equivalent

Re-taking the first year of their current course at Wiltshire College & University Centre, and have previously been awarded a bursary

How and when do I apply

Application forms will be available from either your course lecturer or HE Admissions from the start of your course onwards. Completed forms need to be returned to the HE Admissions Office (Wiltshire College & University Centre, Trowbridge, College Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 0ES) by the 31st October and you will be notified of your award in November.

Appeals

To appeal against award decisions please write to: Head of Higher Education, Quality and Partnerships, Wiltshire College & University Centre, Trowbridge, College Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 0ES or email: HEadmissions@wiltshire.ac.uk

Will either award affect any benefits I am receiving?

We advise you to check with the Benefits Agency if receipt of an award will affect any entitlement to benefits you are receiving.

Do I have to repay the awards?

Bursaries are non-repayable. If you leave the course earlier however, all future payments will cease and you will no longer be eligible.

Tuition Fee Loan

Universities and colleges can charge up to £9,250 a year for full-time courses. You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover tuition fees.

Maintenance Loan

A Maintenance Loan helps with living costs such as rent and bills and course-related expenses. Part of the Maintenance Loan depends on your household income - that's the income of your parents (if under 25) or your husband, wife or partner.

What are Dependants' Grants?

If you are a full-time student you might also be able to get extra financial help if you have children or an adult who depends on you financially. Dependants; Grants are paid in addition to your main student finance and don't normally have to be paid back, unless you leave your course early

Parents Learning Allowance

This helps with course-related costs if you have dependent children.

Childcare Grant

You can apply for help to pay your childcare costs. You could get up to 85% of your weekly costs. If you, your husband, wife, or partner get the childcare element of Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit, or Tax-Free Childcare from HM Revenue and Customs you won't be able to get a Childcare Grant as well, but you can choose to get Childcare Grant instead.

Adult Dependants Grant

You can apply for an Adult Dependants' Grant if you have a partner or another adult who depends on you financially. Grown up children don't count as adult dependants. You can not get an Adult Dependant's Grant if the dependent adult is also a student getting student finance.

What is Disabled Students Allowance?

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is a grant to help pay the extra essential costs you may have as a direct result of your disability, including a long-term health condition, mental-health condition, or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. You don't have to pay this back.

What is DSA for?

DSA can help cover essential extra costs you might have during your course as a direct result of your disability, such as: human support, travel costs, assistive technology and training in how to use the technology effectively. DSA doesn't depend on household income - what you get depends on your individual needs. Find out more about DSA here.

How do I apply for student finance?

The quickest and easiest way to apply is online at www.gov.uk/student-finance. Apply as soon as the application service opens to make sure you have your money sorted for the start of your course. If your application is late, your money might be too. If you are applying for student finance that depends on your household income they will need some information from your parents or partner too.

Repaying your loans

Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans have to be repaid - but not until you have finished or left your course and your income is over the repayment threshold, which you can find here.

We are aware that sometimes things will crop up that you had not planned for, and you may have a sudden change in your financial circumstances. If you are struggling please talk to us. If you are studying through a partner University, you can apply for hardship support through them. If you are studying on one of the courses listed earlier, you can apply to Wiltshire College & University Centre for hardship support.

This is discretionary support and any student who feels that they need extra financial assistance is advised to speak with the HE Admissions Team.

To be able to apply for help from this fund you must be:

Ordinarily resident in the UK. (Overseas students are not eligible)

Have accessed all other available funding from Student Finance

Be studying on a Higher Education undergraduate course at Wiltshire College & University Centre.

How much will I get from this fund?

As a discretionary fund, the amount you will receive will be dependent upon your individual circumstances and need.

How and when do I apply for this fund?

Please contact the HE Admissions Team on 01225 756200 or email us at HEadmissions@wiltshire.ac.uk.