Full-Time Fees & Finance
| UK Resident Students | ||||
Level |
Tuition Fees |
Student Loan |
Bursary/Grant |
EMA |
Higher Education Degree Foundation Degree HND Higher Diploma in Admin. Procedures NVQ L4 Journalism |
Apply to your ELB Use PN1 or PR1 Forms |
Apply to your ELB Use PN1 or PR1 Forms |
Apply to your ELB Use PN1 or PR1 Forms |
Not eligible for EMA |
Further Education National Diploma 1st Diploma NVQ Levels 1-3 |
No Fees |
Not Eligible for Loan |
Apply to Student Finance NI - WELB - Omagh - if over 19 at 1st July FE Award Form |
Apply if under 20 at 1st July |
| EU Resident Students (Inc. Republic of Ireland) | ||||
Level |
Tuition Fees |
Student Loan |
Bursary/Grant |
EMA |
| Higher Education Degree Foundation Degree HND Higher Diploma in Admin. Procedures NVQ L4 Journalism |
Apply to EU Customer Services Team - Darlington SLC for Tuition Fee Loan - EU8N or Eur Forms |
Not Eligible for Loan | Apply to your VEC if unemployed or claiming benefits. Complete a Back to Education Form from Social Services |
Not eligible for EMA |
| Further Education National Diploma 1st Diploma NVQ Levels 1-3 |
No Fees | Not eligible for EMA | No Bursary or Grant for these courses. If unemployed or claiming benefits complete a Back to Education Form |
Not eligible for EMA |
Below you will find information on the Fees for our courses, it also provides information on student support available for further and higher education courses including; Loans & Grants, Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and Childcare Support available.
Fees
You don't have fees to pay if you are on a Further Education (FE) course:
- First Diploma
- National Diploma
- NVQ Levels 1, 2 & 3
- City & Guilds Level 3
If you are 19 years old or over on 1st July 2010, you must apply for a Bursary/Grant from Student Finance NI using the FURTHER EDUCATION AWARD APPLICATION & ASSESSMENT FORM. Deadlines for these forms are 30th June 2010. Late applications will still be considered until the funding runs out
Contact WELB - Tel: 028 8225 4546 / 82411499 or our Student Services.
Foundation Art & Design Course
- Foundation Art & Design Course: £1,100
Higher Education Courses
- OCR Administration (Business Professional) Level 4 Diploma
- NVQ L4 Journalism
- HND Fee: £1,315
- Foundation Degree Fee: £1,315
- Degree Fee: £3,290
Payment of Fees
Fees should be paid in full on enrolment. However, there is a facility to pay by direct debit. A minimum deposit of £100 will be payable on enrolment and a direct debit set-up to pay the remaining balance over a maximum of 4 monthly installments.
Non-Payment of Fees
Failure to pay fees will result in one or more of the following:
- The student will be withdrawn from the course
- The student will not be able to sit any exams for which he/she has enrolled in the College
- The College will not mark coursework assessments
- The student will be unable to avail of the College's facilities
- The student will not be able to progress to the 2nd year of the course, or enrol in an alternative course within the College
- The College will seek to recover all outstanding monies
- Students may not be included on the College's pass lists until outstanding accounts have been settled.
Further Education Award
Full Time students aged 19years or over on the 1st July can apply for a Further Education Award, to help with living costs. This grant is based on household income. The following table shows the amount of grant you will get, depending on your household income:
| Residual Income (£) | Amount of Bursary (£) |
| Up to 21,330 | 2,092 |
| 21,331 – 26,160 | 1,863 |
| 26,161 – 31,580 | 1,633 |
| 31,581 – 38,805 | 1,402 |
| 38,806 | 0 |
| What does it cover | Tuition Fees up to £930
|
| Age Range | 19 or over on 1 July in year of application |
| Course Type | NVQ Levels 1, 2 or 3 First Diplomas National Diplomas University Access Courses |
| Previous Study | You must be progressing to the next level eg if you have Level 2, then you can apply for Level 3 |
| Number of Hours | Full-time |
| Residency | Be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland, UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man for 3 years immediately before the first day of your course |
| Hardship Fund | If you have severe financial hardship you may also apply to the College Hardship Fund |
| Attendance | Must be at least 80%. Awards will be adjusted or withdrawn for poor attendance |
| Deadline | 30 June 2010 |
| DSA | Extra help for students with physical or mental health difficulties. |
Click here for FE Flowcharts [pdf 59k]
Education Maintenance Allowance
Get paid to come to College!
If you are under 20 on 30 June 2010 don't forget to apply for your Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), Bus Pass - if you are under 19 on 30 June 2010 or School Meal Allowances (for students up to the age of 18).
Click here for FAQs for EMA
Hardship Funds
The college may provide help to students in financial hardship via the Student Hardship Funds.
All applicants must apply to their local Education and Library Board (ELB), or in the case of ROI students, their VEC, for support in the first instance. Hardship Funds are available to help with payment of fees, travel, learning materials and living costs. Application forms are available from student services from September 2010.
| What does it cover | The Hardship fund is intended to provide support to learners who are experiencing exceptional financial difficulty with meeting costs associated with learning. The Hardship fund cannot be used to assist with HE tuition fees. |
| Course Type | Hardship funds are available to full time and part time HE and FE Students. Students must be enrolled on an accredited qualification. Courses must be at least than 4hrs per week. |
| Income Eligibility | Students must have exhausted all other avenues of assistance before applying to the Hardship Fund. HE Students must have taken out the maximum student loan. Household income below £38,806 however Students must show their educational expenditure exceeds their income. |
| Personal Eligibility | Students must be 18 years old or more before they can apply. Hardship funds are not available to Students who are repeating courses. Support is only available to Students who can demonstrate clear academic progression. |
| Residency | Students must meet the residency requirements as detailed in the education (Student Support) Regulations No2 (Northland Ireland) 2009 |
| Attendance | To receive full financial assistance from the Hardship Fund eligible Student must have achieved 80% attendance. Student’s attendance will be monitored throughout the year. The amount of financial assistance could be reduced or removed depending on attendance patterns. |
| Deadline | To receive the maximum assistance available from the Hardship Fund. Student must apply within the closing dates which will be published within the academic year. In certain circumstance students can apply after the closing dates. Providing Funding is still available. Payments would only be made from the date their application has been approved. |
Click here: FAQs for SUPPORT FUNDS
Childcare
Students aged between 16-20 years old who have financial difficulties or need support with childcare costs may be entitled to additional funding through Care to Learn
*Contact Student Services for more information
Full time students 19 years+ may be eligible for up to 100% of childcare costs through the Childcare grant.
*Apply to Studentfinanceni using the Further Education Award form
Click here: FAQs for CHILDCARE
Click here for to view the 'Guide to Financial Support for Higher Education Students 2010/2011'
| What does it cover | Maintenance Grant – up to £3475
Click here for PN1 guidance notes |
| Age Range | There is no age limit, however students must be studying a higher education course |
| Course Type | HND’s Foundation Degree Degree OCR level 4 Diploma in Admin |
| Previous Study | Students must be academically progressing. If you have had previous funding on a HE course then this may effect the funding you get. Please contact student services for further clarification. |
| Number of Hours | Full-time |
| Residency | Be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland, UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man for 3 years immediately before the first day of your course |
| Hardship Fund | If you have severe financial hardship you may also apply to the College Hardship Fund |
| Attendance | Students must have satisfactory attendance |
| Deadline | To guarantee you get a payment at the start of the first term of your course, make sure you and your family fill in and return your application form by the relevant deadline. The deadlines are as follows. For new students who choose not to supply financial information on their form. 23 April 2010 Other new students 26 June 2010 If you miss the deadline, there is no guarantee that you will receive a payment at the start of term. |
| DSA | Extra help for students with physical or mental health difficulties. Click here to download DSA1 form |
Click here for HE flowchart [pdf 314k]
Higher Education – Maintenance Loan
The maintenance loan is to help with your living costs such as accommodation, food, clothes, travel etc
The table below shows the maximum loan which you can get in 2010/2011
Maximum Student Loans for Maintenance in 2010/2011
Full-year rates
| Students living away from their parents' home and studying in London |
Up to £6,780 |
| Students living away from their parents' home and studying elsewhere |
Up to £4,840 |
| Students living at their parents' home | Up to £3,750 |
Note: If you are entitled to a Maintenance Grant, you can also receive a Maintenance Loan but the
maximum amount of loan you can receive will be reduced.
How is it paid?
The SLC will usually pay your loan in three instalments – one at the start of each term. They will make payments for most students straight into your bank or building society account. You will receive a payment schedule from the SLC which tells you how you will get your money.
Is it repayable?
Yes, but you only start repaying after leaving university and are earning over £15,000.
Higher Education – Tuition Fee Loan
No eligible student has to pay fees before they start university or while they are studying.
Instead, students are able to apply for the student loan for fees to cover these costs. This means that they won’t have to find the money before they start their course or whilst they are studying, and the fees will be paid direct to the university or college on students’ behalf. Students will repay these loans once they have left university and are earning over £15,000. Interest on the loan is linked to inflation, so what you repay will be worth what you borrowed.
Who’s eligible?
Eligible students in higher education who start their course in 2010 (and existing eligible students who commenced their course after September 2006)
How much?
The fee you are charged, but no more than £3,290 in this academic year.
How is it paid? Paid direct to your university or college
Is it repayable?
Yes. But you only start repaying it when you have left your course and are earning over £15,000. You repay it at 9% of your earnings above £15,000. So, someone earning £18,000 – the average starting salary for a graduate – would be paying back £5.19 a week.
EU Residents can apply for a tuition fee loan only. You must contact your local VEC for available grants and bursaries
EU students can download EU10N form by Clicking Here
This form is for fee loans only, should be returned to: EU Customer Services Team, PO BOX 89, Darlington, Co Durham, DL1 9AZ.
Additional Information for non UK residents
Tips on applying for support
Early application to your local ELB is advised because forms are processed in the order they are received. Phone your ELB for the closing date.
Apply
early, even if you are uncertain of the course you want to do - this choice can be finalised at a later stage. Regardless of whether the college has offered you a place on a course, make an application to your local authority. Don't delay by waiting for an offer of a place.
If applying for an FE course, please apply, using the FE Award Application and Assessment Form, to WELB, Student Finance NI, FE Awards Section, 1 Hospital Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone BT79 0AW.
| Funding Provider | Type of Funding | Max Funding Available | Funding Area | Summary |
| NI Memorial Fund | Grant | £1,200 | NI | Funding towards educational courses for individuals who have lost a family member or sustained physical injury as a result of the Troubles. |
| Princes Trust | Grant | £50 - £300 | NI | Funding towards fees; childcare; equipment; materials; tools; travel costs for individuals who have left school with less than 5 GCSE’s grades A-C ex-prisoners; exoffenders or unemployed. |
| Kick Start | Grant | Not quantified; normally cost of course | NI | Funding towards educational courses for unemployed students, job search activities, interview preparation & benefit calculations. |
| Army FE Bursary | Grant | £1000 for 4 years | NI | Financial bursary for students. |
| Student Disability Assistance Fund | Grant | £500 | NI | Financial bursary for students involved in a HE course on a full-time basis. |
| British Council 9/11 Scholarship Fund | Grant | Course Fees £1000 living allowance | NI | Children or dependents of the victims of the 9/11 attack. |
| David West Trust | Grant | £500 | NI | Funding for educational / training purposes for NI residing students falling into categories of disability, cancer, carers & Individuals facing social exclusion. |
| Gingerbread NI | Grant | £300 per year for course fees | NI | Funding for course fees childcare costs, & travel costs for lone parents. |
| St Vincent de Paul | Grant | Not Specified | NI | Funding available to students towards materials, childcare, transport & registration fees for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. |
| ROI Back to Education | Grant | Dependent on other benefits received | ROI | Allowance payable for duration of course for ROI resident and unemployed students. |
| ROI state maintenance grant | Grant | € 3,809 | ROI | Means-tested funding for applicants seeking to enrol on a full-time HE/FE course. |
| ROI fund for students with disabilities | Grant | Not Specified | ROI | Funding towards course related equipment, travel or subsistance who have a verifiable disability. |
| Millennium Fund for disadvantaged | Grant | Not Specified | ROI | Funding to support students on full-time courses who live within the Inishowen partnership area. |
Although most full time students are not entitled to social security benefits certain students in vulnerable groups, including single parents and disabled students, may be eligible for social security benefits including Housing Benefits.
If you want to take a full time course of education, you should ask your local benefits office how this may affect your benefits.
Part-Time Students in receipt of Benefits can receive help with childcare, travel and Books through Support Funds without affecting Benefits*
*This has been confirmed by Social Security Agency. (Jobs and benefits Section)
For additional information also see Student & Benefits 2009/2010
Derry/Londonderry
Michelle Breslin
Student Finance
02871276033
michelle.breslin@nwrc.ac.uk
Emmett Rice
Student Finance
02871276010
emmet.rice@nwrc.ac.uk
Limavady
Esther Mawhinney
Student Finance
02871278770
esther.mawhinney@nwrc.ac.uk
Western ELB
1 Hospital Road
Omagh,
BT79 0AW
Tel: 028 8241 1411
North Eastern ELB
County Hall
182 Galgorm Road
Ballymena,
BT42 1HN
Tel: 028 2565 3333
Top
