Funding for Part-Time Students

From September 2012 new part-time undergraduates can take out a tuition fee loan to pay fees up to a maximum of £6,750. 

The course you plan to study must be of a certain type and lead to a recognised higher education qualification. You must be studying at a course intensity of at least 25%. This means you’ll need to complete your course in no more than four times the amount of time it would take to complete if you were studying full time (up to a maximum of 16 years).

Previous Study
You won’t normally be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan if you already hold a qualification equal to or higher than the one you’re studying for.

Loan Repayment
You will begin to repay your loan from the April three years after the start date of your course, or the April after you finish your course if that's sooner, but you only start to pay back when you are earning over £21,000 a year.

What you repay is based on your earnings.  9% of what you earn over £21,000 is deducted from your salary by Revenue and Customs. So, for example; if you earned £25,000 a year you would repay £30 per month. (Subject to parliamentary approval).

Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) are grants to help meet the extra course costs students face because of a disability. You may get DSAs if you have a disability, ongoing health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty like dyslexia. 

DSAs can help pay for:

•Specialist equipment you need for studying, like computer software
•Non-medical helpers, such as a note-taker or reader
•Extra travel costs you have to pay because of your disability
•Other costs such as photocopying or printer cartridges

You don’t have to pay DSAs back and they’re not counted as income for means-tested benefits or tax credits.

More information and how to apply:

Website: Disabled Students' Allowance

Booklet: Bridging the Gap

Part-time students can apply to the Access to Learning Fund.  Depending on your circumstances it may be able to provide additional financial help towards the essential costs associated with being a student. Awards made from the Fund are usually non-repayable grants

Website:  Access to Learning Fund

Tuition Fee Grant and Course Grant
Undergraduate part-time students who started their course before September 2012 may be entitled to a Fee Grant and a Course Grant from Student Finance England.  You need to be studying at least 50% of the equivalent full-time course.  The support is income-assessed and you will need to meet residency eligibility criteria.  Students from other EU countries may be only be eligible for the Fee Grant.

Booklet: Financial Support for Part-time Students 2011/12

Access to Learning Fund
The Additional Fee Support Scheme is available to part-time undergraduate students whose fee grant is insufficient to meet the full tuition fee.   The scheme is part of Leeds Met's Access to Learning Fund.

Website:  Additional Fee Support Scheme