Financial Support
Financial Support for Living Costs
Housing Benefit
Most full time students are not entitled to Housing Benefit. However, you can claim if you are a single parent, disabled student etc. Contact the Higher Education Officer for more details.
Council Tax
Where full time students live in College accommodation or in homes where no-one but full time students live they are fully exempt from council tax. If a student lives with one adult who is not a student that person can claim 25% discount on their council tax bill.
Council Tax exemption certificates are available to all eligible students from Student Services on production of a valid enrolment receipt.
Maintenance Grants and Bursaries
Maintenance Grants of up to £2,906 are available for students from low income households to help cover day to day living expenses.
Maintenance Loans
Students under the age of 60 can also apply for a student loan to cover living costs, such as rent, food and travel. All students from England will be eligible for at least 72% of the student loan regardless of their household income.
The rates for student loans for 2010/2011 are:
Student Loan available if you live with your parents during term time, upto a maximum of £3,838
Student Loan available if you don’t live with your parents during term time, upto a maximum of £4,950
For ‘new system’ students the maximum amount of maintenance loan will be reduced by 50p for every £1 of maintenance grant received, up to a maximum £1,453 reduction.
You can apply to your LEA for a loan at the same time that you apply for support towards tuition fees. Your LEA will assess the amount of loan you are entitled to and invite you to determine the amount you wish to apply for.
See www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance for loan rates and for the facility for applicants to obtain a calculation on how much loan is available.