Funding, loans and tuition fees

[Hannahemily]

Does anyone know how much mature students (who already have a degree from a university) will have to pay towards their tuition fees at med school ... is it the full amount and how much is that? Are there any available grants? .. .and does the LEA contribute to the tuition costs? ... finally .... are graduates entitled to student loans? ... how do graduates with all the debt from previous studies manage to fund medical school??
Thanks!

[auden]

you sound like you're in a very similar position to me!

If you have a first undergraduate degree (and assuming you didn't pay full overseas fees for that) then your LEA (if you're in England/Wales) will not fund your tuition fees - so you'll be liable for the full undergraduate fee (currently around £1200, rising to £3000 in 2006 when top-up-fees are introduced).

HOWEVER:
- from 2006 you won't actually pay your fees upfront, you'll get a loan for them and only pay this back from after you graduate (and you can get this even if you've already been a student and already had loans, so long as you're not behind with repayments)
- you won't, as it stands currently, pay more than the standard undergraduate fee - ie you won't pay full overseas fees like you do for dentistry as a mature.
- you won't pay tuition in year 5 of a standard course or years 2-4 of a GEP because the NHS pays it for you.

You also won't get much other help from your LEA - you might get some childcare/dependents' allowances if you have any but you won't get any other grants etc.

The student loan is a totally different kettle of fish - you can get it even if you have already got one degree and even if you have existing debt with the student loan company, so long as you have kept up with any repayments they have asked for. You can get their standard maximum loans so long as you/any spouse or parents if you're under 25 don't have an income over the threshold (above which the loan you can get decreases). However, the amount of loan you can get decreases to 50% in year 5 of the undergrad course (or years 2-4 of GEP) because you are then eligible for the NHS bursary (which is a grant, not a loan) direct from the NHS and that's about half the max student loan - so effectively you just get the same money, but half as a grant. That's means tested but the loan then isn't.

As for managing the debt, I'm less help to you as I don't have much from my first degree and my only real creditors are my mortgage company! Obviously, the student loans only pay back at a low level of interest and once you're earning which helps, but servicing other debt as well (perhaps from a personal loan to finance studying) may mean it's a fair few years before you can also borrow for a mortgage. But since I'd sell my right arm to go to med school..... :-)

Libs

[spk76]

To add to the above - in addition to further Student Loans, most graduates also get a Professional Studies Loan. Most of the highstreet banks do them. See here for further details:

http://www.medschoolguide.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=13884

[wanabadoc:)]

please can someone let me know of any grants available to mature students? thankyou

[Tangliss]

Childcare grant, dependent grant, parental learning allowance grant.

[Tangliss]

Here are the figures:

Help available
Childcare Grant Up to £5967 for one child, or up to £8840 for two or more children Local education authority (LEA) [3]

Adult Dependants Grant Up to £2395 for one adult dependant (usually a husband or wife, or partner) LEA [5]

Parents Learning Allowance Up to £1365 LEA [5]

Child Tax Credit How much you get depends on your circumstances and the level of your income (generally, your taxable income). Inland Revenue [5]

Help with tuition fees Up to £1175
LEA [8]

Student Loan Up to £4195 (£5175 in London)] LEA [8]

Higher Education Grant Up to £1000 LEA [8]

Discretionary help available How much Where from Page number
Access to Learning Fund (financial help to help you start or stay on your course) According to need, based on an assessment of your income and outgoings. Your university or college [6]

[Tangliss]

Take a look at this: http://www.geocities.com/alexism1974/maturefaq.htm

[spk76]

Here are the figures:

Help available
Childcare Grant Up to £5967 for one child, or up to £8840 for two or more children Local education authority (LEA) [3]

Adult Dependants Grant Up to £2395 for one adult dependant (usually a husband or wife, or partner) LEA [5]

Parents Learning Allowance Up to £1365 LEA [5]

As a parent can you get all of that? Does the dependant's grant only apply to partners who aren't working? These figures are prefixed by "up to" - what does that depend on? Your own earnings and savings or those of your partner?

Child Tax Credit How much you get depends on your circumstances and the level of your income (generally, your taxable income). Inland Revenue [5]

Is this offset by any of the above grants you get? And presumably by your partner's income, even though we as students aren't earning?

Help with tuition fees Up to £1175
LEA [8]

My understanding is that if you've had help with a previous degree, you won't get it again, other than by a clerical error. Are there circumstances in which you can get help, even if an LEA has assisted before?

Higher Education Grant Up to £1000 LEA [8]

Who can get these?

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[auden]

spk76,

yeah, you won't get fees help from the LEA if it's your second undergraduate degree and you had help for the first one, unless by clerical error. And if you have one undergraduate degree already then you can't get the new Higher Ed Grant either.

But all the childcare stuff and dependents stuff is available even if you've had it before for a previous degree.

Libs

[Tangliss]

As a parent can you get all of that? Does the dependant's grant only apply to partners who aren't working? These figures are prefixed by "up to" - what does that depend on? Your own earnings and savings or those of your partner?

Yes you can. It's dependent on your partner's income. Up to 85% of nursery costs can be met, I think it's 85% of a max of £135 for one child and 85% of £200, for two or more children

Is this offset by any of the above grants you get? And presumably by your partner's income, even though we as students aren't earning?

They use a massive calculation to work out your entitlement. They take your partner's net income, deduct mortgage/rent payments, insurance policies and loans. The they deduct an amount, for us it's £4195 from that figure, from the remaining income. Then you have to fund the difference. It's really complex, but for example:

My maximum childcare grant would be £7429.00
Max Parents learning allowance £1,330.00
Max Adult dependants Grant £2,335.00
A total of £11,094.00

Say, net wage of my partner is £15,000, after outgoings, which they deduct and the £4195 they think a family could live on for one year, brings out total income to £3,000 per year. They deduct this from £11,094.00.

Giving me a total grant of £8094,00 plus my student loan of £3,365


Total £ 11,459.00

I have not got this amount, mind. But did not want to disclose full figures.

My understanding is that if you've had help with a previous degree, you won't get it again, other than by a clerical error. Are there circumstances in which you can get help, even if an LEA has assisted before?

You will get this help if you have undertaken a previous degree

Who can get these?

Parents and independent students