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► Students returning to Sussex in 2010/11 whose course began BEFORE October 2006 (old system students)
This page gives information about funding for returning full-time undergraduate home students who began their Sussex course BEFORE the 2006/07 academic year.
Students who started their course prior to October 2006 come under the old system of funding and are know as 'old system' students.
Page contents:
How much are the tuition fees for 2010/11 for old-system students?
How much is the maximum Student Loan for 2010/11?
I got funding this year – do I need to apply again for 2010/11?
→ How do I do this?
→ How will I be assessed?
What other funding is available in 2010/11 to help with my course and living costs?
When will I have to repay my Student Loan?
How much are the tuition fees for 2010/11 for old-system students?
If you began your course BEFORE the 2006/07 academic year, you should be treated as an 'old system' student and will be liable to pay a maximum of £1,310 towards your fees for the 2010/11 year. You will NOT be subject to the new system of variable fees.
Please note however that, whilst the maximum amount of fees that you will be charged will be £1,310 if you remain at Sussex for 2010/11, you may be charged variable fees if you decide to transfer to a different university. Students considering transferring to a different university for 2010/11 should check with their intended university regarding the fees they will be charged.
If you are charged the 'old system' fees explained above, you may be entitled to a grant to cover all or part of your fees, depending on your household income, which will be paid direct to the university.
If, following an assessment of your household income, you are entitled to no grant or only a partial grant towards your fees, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance England (or Student Finance Northern Irelandif you are from Northern Ireland) if you wish so that you do not have to pay your fees upfront. Information about the Tuition Fee Loan can be found on our webpages for new system students.
How much is the maximum Student Loan for 2010/11?
The maximum amounts of Student Loan available to old-system Sussex students in 2010/11 are shown in the table below:
| Maximum available | 75% non means-tested element | 25% means-tested element | |
| Students living away from their parents' home | £4,745 | £3,559 | £1,186 |
| Final year rate | £4,391 | £3,293 | £1,098 |
| Students living with their parents | £3,673 | £2,755 | £918 |
| Final year rate | £3,319 | £2,489 | £830 |
I got funding this year – do I need to apply again for 2010/11?
Yes. You need to apply for financial support for each year that you are on your course if you want funding for that year.
How do I do this?
You should be automatically sent a PR1 form in January 2010. If you don't receive one, contact your LA/ELB or download one from Student Finance England (SFE)/Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI). You can also complete the form and apply online if you prefer. Applications should be open from 28 January 2010.
If you were assessed last year by your LA or ELB then you will need to return your completed application form to them. If you were part of the pilot scheme however that applied to Student Finance Direct last year you will need to return your completed form (or apply online) this year to Student Finance England (SFE) or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI).
If you are applying for means-tested support (tuition fee support, the 25% means-tested element of the student loan, the HE Grant and any supplementary grants), you will need to provide financial information on your form, in which case the deadline for returning your completed form is 21 May 2010. If you choose not to provide financial information on your form, and are therefore only applying for the non means-tested 75% element of the student loan, the deadline for returning your completed form is 23 April 2010. If you miss these deadlines, there is no guarantee that you will receive your money at the beginning of term.
If you decide now not to apply for funding for 2010/11 but change your mind later, you can still apply up until 31 May 2011. This is the final deadline however and applications will only be considered after this date in exceptional circumstances.
Once you have applied you can track and manage your own student finance account online.
How will I be assessed?
How you are assessed will depend on whether you are an ‘independent’ or ‘dependant’ student. Generally speaking, if you were previously assessed as a ‘dependant’ student, you will be assessed as a ‘dependant’ student again for 2010/11 UNLESS you have turned 25 OR married/entered into a civil partnership OR have care responsibilities for a child under 18 before 1st September 2010. If you were previously assessed as an ‘independent’ student, you will be assessed as an ‘independent’ student again for 2010/11.
Single students with ‘independent’ status
If you are a single student with independent status you will have an income threshold of £11,020. Your LA/ELB or SFE/SFNI will only look at details of your income and will then ignore any income you have from jobs you do during your course, from payments made into a pension scheme that qualifies for tax relief and £1,130 for any child who is financially dependant on you.
If your remaining income is below the £11,020 threshold you will be entitled to full funding.
If your remaining income is £11,020 or above, you will be expected to make a £45 contribution towards your fees/living costs plus an additional £1 for every £9.27 above the threshold.
If your income is approximately £33,400 or above, you will be expected to make the maximum contribution. This would be £1,285 towards your fees plus £1,186 (£1,098 for final year students) towards your living costs. In this case you would only receive the £3,559 (£3,293 for final year students) non-means tested element of the student loan.
‘Independent’ students who live with a partner
If you are an independent student living with a partner (including a partner of the same sex if you started your course in 2005/06 or later), you will have an income threshold of £23,660. Your LA/ELB or SFE/SFNI will firstly look at your income (ignoring the same income as for single independent students). They will then look at the income of your partner ignoring any payments he/she makes into a pension scheme that qualifies for tax relief, £1,130 for any child who is financially dependant on him/her and £1,130 if he/she is also a student.
If the remaining household income is below the £23,660 threshold you will be entitled to full funding.
If the remaining household income is £23,660 or above, your partner will be expected to make a £45 contribution towards your fees/living costs plus an additional £1 for every £9.27 above the threshold.
If your household income is above £46,150 (£45,335 for final year students), your partner will be expected to make the maximum contribution. This would be £1,285 towards your fees plus £1,186 (£1,098 for final year students) towards your living costs. In this case you would only receive the £3,559 (£3,293 for final year students) non-means tested element of the student loan.
‘Dependant’ students
If you are a dependant student, you will have an income threshold of £23,660. Your LA/ELB or SFE/SFNI will firstly look at your income (ignoring the same income as for single independent students). They will then look at the income of the natural/adoptive parent or parents that you normally live with*, ignoring any payments that they make into a pension scheme that qualifies for tax relief, £1,130 for any child who is financially dependant on them and £1,130 if your parent is also a student.
If the remaining household income is below the £23,660 threshold you will be entitled to full funding.
If the remaining household income is £23,660 or above, your parent will be expected to make a £45 contribution towards your fees/living costs plus an additional £1 for every £9.27 above the threshold.
If your household income is above £46,150 (£45,335 for final year students), you will be expected to make the maximum contribution. This would be £1,285 towards your fees plus £1,186 (£1,098 for final year students) towards your living costs. In this case you would only receive the £3,559 (£3,293 for final year students) non-means tested element of the student loan.
NB: If you are living with your parents whilst you are studying and your household income is above £43,665 (£42,850 for final year students), your parents will be expected to make the maximum contribution. This would be £1,285 towards your fees plus £918 (£830 for final year students) towards your living costs, leaving you with the £2,755 (£2,489 for final year students) non-means tested element of the student loan.
* If you started your course in 2004/05 or after, and your parent lives with a partner (including same sex partners), their partner’s income will also be included in the assessment of household income.
For more information about how ‘dependant’ and ‘independent’ students are classified, have a look at our webpages for new students starting in 2010/11.
What other funding is available in 2010/11 to help with my course and living costs?
Higher Education (HE) Grant
If you are an ‘old system’ student who started your course after September 2004 and have a household income below £16,750 you may be eligible for a £1,000 grant to help with the costs of higher education. If your household income is above £16,750 but below £22,735 you may still be eligible to receive part of the HE Grant. How much you receive will depend on your household income.
Disabled Student Allowances (DSAs)
If you have a disability (including learning disabilities such as dyslexia), and you are likely to incur additional costs as a result of undertaking your course and as a direct result of your disability, you may be eligible for a DSA. There are three categories if DSA:
- A specialist equipment allowance of up to £5,161 for the whole course.
- A non-medical helpers allowance of up to £20,520 for the year.
- A general allowance of up to £1,724 for the year.
These allowances could be used, for example, to buy specialist support software, to pay for a note taker, or to cover the cost of additional printing/photocopying. How much you will receive is based on your individual needs and does NOT depend on your income.
You may also be able to get some help with any extra travel costs you have to pay to attend your course as a result of your disability.
Adult Dependants’ Grant (ADG)
If you have a partner (including same sex partners for students who started in 2005/06 or later) or another adult who depends on you financially, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £2,642. How much you receive will depend on your income and the income of your adult dependants.
Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA)
If you have dependant children, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £1,508 to help with course-related costs. How much you receive will depend on your income and the income of your dependants.
Childcare Grant (CCG)
If you have dependant children in certain types of 'prescribed' childcare, you may be eligible for a grant to help meet the costs of this childcare.
'Prescribed' childchare includes any of the following:
- Where the childcare provider is registered by Ofsted (can include registered childminders, nurseries, playgroups, childrens centres and holiday play schemes for children under 7)
- Childcare provided on school premises by a school's governing body (subject to certain rules).
- Childcare provided by care worker or nurse from an agency registered by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
- Childcare provided by an approved foster carer (subject to certain rules)
The amount you receive will be based on your actual costs but the maximum amount is capped:-
For one child: up to £148.75 per week (85% of actual costs of up to £175 per week)
For two or more children: up to £255 per week (85% of actual costs of up to £300 per week).
How much you receive will also depend on your income and the income of your dependants.
Please note: You cannot get the Childcare Grant if you already receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit (WTC). You will have to decide to continue with a claim for either the Childcare Grant or WTC childcare element. You cannot get both at the same time.
Travel Grant
If you have to travel as part of your course (for example, to clinical training for medical students or to another country if your course includes a year abroad), you may be eligible for help with your travel costs. The Travel Grant is based on your household income and can cover any 'reasonable' travel cost above the first £303. You may also be able to get help with the costs of medical insurance, visas and vaccinations.
For more information about any of the grants listed above, speak to your LA/ELB or SFE/SFNI. Alternatively speak to one of our advisers during a drop-in sessions.
When will I have to repay my Student Loan?
You will not have to start repaying your student loan until the April after you have finished your course or left your course and only once you are earning over £15,000. Once you are earning over £15,000, the amount you repay each month is linked to how much you earn but will always be 9% of the amount you are earning above £15,000. Examples of the amount you would be repaying depending on your income are given in the table below (rounded down to the nearest pound):
Gross yearly income
Monthly repayments
Up to £15,000
£0
£18,000
£22
£20,000
£37
£25,000
£75
If you have kept up your repayments, any loan you still owe will be cancelled when you reach 65, if you become permanently disabled and unfit for work or if you die.
Further information about statutory support can be found on the Direct Gov website.
Information about other (non-statutory) sources of income, have a look at our additional sources of income and additional help available to Sussex students webpages.
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