Fees & Funding for Higher Education
Tuition fees for 2010 entry.
Tuition Fees – Home and EU students
Undergraduate Degree £3,290
Foundation Degree (full-time) £3,290
Foundation Degree (part-time) £1,645
Audition fee £40
Tuition Fees – International students (non-EU)
Undergraduate Degree £10,290*
Foundation Degree (full-time) £10,290*
Audition fee £40*
Tuition Fees – Channel Isles and Isle of Man
Fees for students from the Channel Isles and Isle of Man are still to be set by the College.
*Fees shown are for 2009 entry.
Tuition Fees set by the College will be subject to an increase for 2010 entry.
Payment of Tuition Fees – Full-time students
Most students will not have to pay their Tuition Fees before or whilst they are studying. All eligible full time Home and EU students may apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Student Loan Company. The fee will then be paid directly to the College on behalf of the student. For information about repayment of Tuition Fee Loans, please see page 194. Students who choose not to take a Tuition Fee Loan will be invoiced for the full amount, with payment due in full by 1 December 2010.
Payment of Tuition Fees– Part-time students
Those opting to study on the Foundation Degree on a part time basis (i.e. 50% of full-time, taking 4 years to complete) may apply for a means tested grant of up to £820 towards the Tuition Fee. Students who have difficulty in paying the remaining balance will be able to apply for additional Assistance from the College’s Access to Learning Fund.
Help with living costs (Full-time Home students only)
Maintenance grants
Non-repayable grants are available to students with a household income of up to £50,000, to help pay for essential costs such as accommodation, food, books and travel. The maximum grant payable is £2,906, for students with household incomes under £25,000 in the tax year 2008-2009.
Partial grants, on a sliding scale, are available to students with household incomes between £25,000 and £50,000. For an illustration of how much you might receive please see page 203.
Special Support Grant
Students who have an underlying entitlement to certain means tested benefits i.e. Income Support for those with dependent children, may receive a Special Support Grant instead of a Maintenance Grant. This is not taken into account when being assessed for benefits.
Maintenance Loans
Loans for living costs are available to full-time students. The maximum loan for a student living away from home is £4,950. 72% of this amount is available to all students, whilst the remaining 28% is subject to the household income assessment. For students who receive the Maintenance Grant, the loan is reduced accordingly, i.e. the lower the household income, the lower the amount of funding available which has to be repaid.
Additional help for specific circumstances:
- Students with dependent children can apply for a Parents Learning Allowance and a Childcare Grant
- Students with an adult dependant can apply for an Adult Dependants Grant
- Students with a disability or a specific learning difficulty can apply for the Disabled Students Allowance, to help with any extra costs incurred whilst studying as a direct result of a disability
- Students who get into financial difficulty whilst studying may be eligible for some extra help from the Access to Learning Fund, a hardship fund administered directly by the College
Repayment of Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans
No matter how much you owe, you only pay back according to how much you earn above the first £15,000 per year.
Loans are paid back at the rate of 9% of your income above the first £15,000. If your income is below this, you will not need to pay anything back. The loans attract an interest rate linked to inflation, so the amount you repay will be broadly the same as what you borrowed in real terms.
Repayments are made automatically through the tax system, and the Government will write off any outstanding balance (except arrears) after 25 years.
How and when to apply for Student Support
For 2010 entry, the quickest and easiest way to apply for Student Support (Grants, Maintenance Loans and Tuition Fee Loans) is online at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance. You will need to provide your National Insurance number, course details, bank account details and your household income details. You can get an estimate of the total support available by using the student finance calculator, on the same website.
You can start applying as soon as you have completed your CUKAS or UCAS application. You can set up and maintain all your information online. If you wish to apply for the full income assessed support, your parents or partner will need to set up a ‘sponsors’ account where they can enter their own details and information about their income.
Apply online at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance or obtain a paper form from Student Finance England on 0845 300 5090.
Further points to note:
- Fees, loans and grants are subject to annual inflationary increases. Figures quoted here apply to the academic year 2009-2010
- The system described opposite applies to students who are normally resident in England. The rules vary slightly for students who are from Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales – please see the websites listed on page 205 for the latest information
- Residents of other EU countries outside the UK can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, but are not eligible for any of the support for living costs
- In order to be considered a Home Student, you will need to meet the residence requirements. This does not relate directly to your nationality. This means that, very broadly, you must have been living legally in the UK, CHannel Isles or Isle of Man for three years prior to the start of the course. If you are from ouotside the EU, then the residence must have been for purposes other than education. There are specific rules for Asylum seekers and members of the Armed Forces, and the decision regarding your eligibility for student support is made by Student Finance England, not the College. For further advice, contact the Welfare Adviser on 0113 222 3514 or email a.best@lcm.ac.uk.
- If you already hold an equivalent level qualification, you may be required to pay the full cost of the course, rather than the standard home fee. This is because the Government has removed the funding that universities receive for these students. For further advice on this matter, please contact the Student Fees and Funding Manager on 0113 222 3419 or email h.holehan@lcm.ac.uk.
Previous Study
Eligibility for Student Support may be affected if you have been in Higher Education before, regardless of the amount of support you received. If you already hold an equivalent level qualification, you cannot receive funding to do another course at the same level and you may also be charged the full cost of the course, (i.e. the same tuition fee as International students). If you think you may be affected by this, please contact the Student Fees and Funding Manager, on 0113 222 3419 for further advice.
Definition of a ‘Home’ student
In order to be considered a ‘Home’ student, you will need to meet the UK residence requirements. This does not relate directly to your nationality. This means that, very broadly, you must have been living legally in the UK, Channel Isle or Isle of Man for the 3 years prior to the start of the course. You must have settled status within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971.
If you are from outside the EU, then the residence must have been for purposes other than education. There are specific rules for Asylum Seekers and members of the Armed Forces. The decision about whether you are eligible for student support is made by Student Finance Direct, not Leeds College of Music. If there is any doubt, the College will make the decision about whether a student is charged the ‘Home’ or International fee rate. This will be based upon the same criteria as that used for student support.
For further advice on residency issues contact the Student Welfare, Accommodation and International Advisor on 0113 222 3514.
Additional Information for International Students Overseas Tuition Fee
If you have not been ordinarily resident in the EU or UK for the three years prior to 1 September in the year you enrol, you may be required to pay the overseas tuition fee. The rules regarding residency and tuition fee status are complex, and if you have any doubts about your position you are advised to contact the Student Welfare, Accomodation and International Advisor on 0113 222 3514. Tuition fees may be paid in instalments from a UK bank account; however, a substantial deposit will be required at enrolment.
Discounts
A discount of £500 is available to new Undergraduate entrants who pay the overseas tuition fee rate and pay the tuition fee in full at or before enrolment. These offers are only available until the end of the two week enrolment period, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other bursaries or scholarships. Discounts are subject to annual review.
International Scholarships
Leeds College of Music is able to offer a small number of one-year partial scholarships for International Students studying on the HE programmes. The International Scholarship will be available to all students paying full international tuition fees, regardless of nationality. The maximum scholarship available per student is £3000. All award decisions will be made on the basis of musical excellence. Please see our website for scholarship application forms and closing date. For more information please contact the Course Enquiries Team at enquiries.assistant@lcm.ac.uk
Funding for International Students
You will need to allow a sum of at least £7,000 per year for your living costs, excluding the cost of travelling to the UK. Please note that overseas students are not entitled to any assistance from UK public funds and before applying
to the College you should consider carefully whether you could afford to study on the course.
International students can get further advice from UKCISA at www.ukcisa.org.uk or from the British Council at www.britishcouncil.org.uk
Useful contacts
If you live in England
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Tel: 0845 300 50 90
If you live in Wales
www.learning.wales.gov.uk/students
Tel: 0845 602 8845
If you live in Scotland
www.saas.gov.uk
Tel: 0845 111 1711
If you live in Northern Ireland
www.delni.gov.uk/studentsupport
Tel: 0845 600 0662
If you live in a non-UK EU country
www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk/EU
Tel: 0141 2433570
Aim Higher includes a useful online budget calculator
www.aimhigher.ac.uk
