Student Finance - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and PGCE Students

Students (first enrolled in 2006/07 or later)

Tuition Fees

All full-time students will be charged fees of £3,145 per year. This includes PGCE students.

Students can defer their fees by applying for a tuition fee loan up to a maximum of £3,145, or pay the full fee directly to the College, or a combination of taking out a fee loan for part of the fees, and paying the rest directly to the College.

A single application form is used for applying for a fee loan, loans for living costs and maintenance grants:

• PN1 form for students registering for the first time in 2008/09
• PR1 form for students first registered prior to 2007/08

Students can also apply online for a fee loan via the Student Finance Northern Ireland website (www.studentfinanceni.co.uk).

Education and Library Boards will send the student a Support Notification which will include details of the amount of fee loan the student has requested. Students must bring this documentation when enrolling at the College.

Part-time Students

Any part-time student who is eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan will be charged £524 per single module whether or not they apply for fee loan.

Payment Methods

Students who do not avail of the fee loan can pay their fees in one of two ways:

Direct Debit – students can complete a direct debit authorisation which spreads the fee due over six months from November to April

Cash or Cheque – students who do not complete a direct debit authorisation will receive one invoice in November for the full amount payable.

EU Students

EU students, including students from the Republic of Ireland, can defer their fees by applying for a fee loan up to maximum of £3,145.

The application is essentially the same as the current system for applying for fee and other support. EU students may also be eligible for the College Bursary of up to £1,260. This will be dependent on the level of their household income. EU students should contact the European Team of the SLC in Darlington for advice. For maintenance support EU students should contact their local county council.

Student Withdrawals

The College policy on tuition fee liability is as follows:

• Students withdrawing on or before 30th November will have their fees cancelled and a refund issued if appropriate.
• Students withdrawing between 1st December and 28th February are liable to 50% of the full fee.
• Students withdrawing from 1st March must pay the full fee for the year.

The College requires formal notification of withdrawal on the appropriate withdrawal form.

Tuition Fee Regulations

Any student who has not paid an account for fees to the College will not receive the certificate for any degree, diploma or other qualification awarded by the College until all outstanding debts have been cleared.

For debts over 90 days a letter warning students that disciplinary action will be taken within 7 days if payment is not made will be issued. Where payment is not made within this period, disciplinary action which may lead to suspension will be initiated.

Continuing students who have not cleared their fee account will be prevented from re-enrolling at the College and from using any of the College facilities.

Where tuition fees have not been paid by the end of the academic year a file will be passed to the College solicitor. The College solicitor will be instructed to take appropriate action to recover the outstanding fees. Where fees remain unpaid three months after an individual has ceased to be a registered student of the College, legal action will normally be initiated.

Maintenance Grants

Grants, up to a maximum of £3,335, will be available to full-time undergraduate students from lower income households. Students from Northern Ireland with a household income of less than £18,360 will receive the full, non-refundable, government grant of £3,335 per annum. Partial grants will be payable to students where household income is between £18,361 and £39,305.

Grants are usually paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term. To apply for a maintenance grant students should contact their local Education and Library Board (ELB) as soon as possible.

St. Mary’s Bursaries

For students first entering St. Mary’s from September 2006 additional financial support is available in the form of a non-repayable annual College bursary.

Entitlement to College bursaries is assessed on the basis of household income. Students from families with a household income of less than £18,360 will receive a bursary of £1,260, while those from families with a household income of between £18,361 and £39,305, will receive a bursary of £530.

Students who are eligible for the College bursary will be notified as to the amount of bursary they have been awarded. Payment will be made in two instalments i.e. Feb and May and will be paid by BACs directly into your bank account. The last date for approval of bursaries in an academic year will be 30th June.

If a student is suspended for any reason he/she will not be paid a bursary while the suspension is in place. Any bursary entitlement for the year will be paid if the suspension is lifted within the current academic year.

Bursary payments, as a result of a household income reassessment by an ELB will be adjusted for the current academic year only.

Students do not need to complete a separate application form for entitlement to a St. Mary’s bursary. The College will use information submitted in your PN1 / PR1 application to the ELB for fee loan and other financial support. Please note that students and parents must consent to share information by signing the appropriate declarations otherwise bursary applications cannot be considered..

Student Loans

Students may apply for a student loan to cover living costs through their Education and Library Board using the PN1 or PR1 form. Student Loans are paid in three instalments by credit transfer directly into students’ bank accounts.

Student Support Funds

Each year an amount is made available to the College to provide help to students who have serious financial difficulties or who might not otherwise be able to afford to enter higher education.

Student Support Funds are available to full-time students, and part-time students studying at least 50% of a full-time course. To qualify, students must meet the same residence conditions as for Student Loans and be following an undergraduate or postgraduate course.

To qualify for a grant from Student Support Funds students must be able to show that they need financial assistance and that they have explored other ways of supporting themselves including having taken out the maximum amount of Student Loan available.

Applications should be made through the Bursar’s Office.