Advice

If you are a continuing student in 2012/13 then the new government changes to the funding system should not affect you.

For a continuing student the maximum fee level that Hallam can charge for an undergraduate course, is £3465. If you are unsure whether you are classed as a continuing student or not then you should contact the Advice Centre for further guidance.

The majority of students (depending on their course of study) will receive financial support from Student Finance England. Students who reside in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will need to apply to different agencies. 

The level of any student funding you receive will be assessed on a number of factors ranging from the course of study, mode of study, household income and whether or not you have any dependents etc. If you have any doubts please feel free to contact the Advice Centre for further information.

Student Finance England Funded Students

Eligibility

The majority of students will receive funding from Student Finance England (SFE).

To be entitled to funding you must be on an eligible course, meet the required residency rules and not already hold an honours degree (certain courses such as nursing and PGCE’s have different rules if you are unsure you should seek further clarification from the Advice Centre).

What am I entitled to?

If you meet the eligibility criteria for student funding, then you are entitled to a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. This will be paid directly to your institution.

If you meet the eligibility criteria a percentage of the total allowable Maintenance Loan will also be available to you.

The remaining percentage of the Maintenance Loan plus as well as the additional Student Grants are calculated on the household income for the previous tax year. The actual income used will be dependent on your student status.

Student Grants do not need to be paid back like the Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan. The most commonly claimed is the Maintenance Grant.

If your household income is below £25,000 per year then you will receive the full amount of Maintenance Grant, which will be £2984 for 2012/13.

For income above £25,000 a partial grant will be paid unless the income level reaches £50,778 at which point no grant will be paid.

The following table shows the amount of Maintenance Grant and Loan available to students.

Note: If you are a student who receives disability related benefits and/or are a lone parent then you may be eligible for a Special Support Grant instead of the Maintenance Grant

Sheffield Hallam Grant Bursary and The Sheffield Hallam Partnership Bursary

If you receive the full amount of Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant from Student Finance England and paid full tuition fees. Then you will be entitled to a bursary from the University of £700 for each year that you do so.

If you came to Sheffield Hallam from a ‘partnership’ school or college then you are entitled to a ‘Partnership Bursary’ of £300 each year.

Both bursaries are paid through SFE and administered by Student Financial Support Services at the University further details of the bursaries including the list of partnership schools and colleges can be found on the university website.

When Should I apply for Student Funding?

Continuing Students still need to reapply for funding each year. The application process for continuing students has now opened. Student Finance England  advises that in order to avoid delay students should apply as early as possible. To do this you will need to log into your online account and complete the “Returning Student Application”.

In order to have your funding in place for the start of the next academic year. Student Finance England recommend that you need to ensure your application is completed and submitted by 29th June 2012.

 How Do I pay my Student Loans back?

Only the Maintenance and Tuition Fee loans need to be paid back, and repayments are only made once you have graduated and you earn over £15,000 per year.

Repayments are taken direct from your wages by HMRC in a similar way to Tax and National Insurance.