funding guide english

8/8/2019 Funding Guide English

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Gettingpromoted

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Funding guidefor adult learners

Your future.Your choice.Your action.


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Yourcontents

01 Learning is priceless

02 Whats on offer? Quick guide

04 Full-time study guide Further Education

Higher Education

06 Part-time study guide Further Education

Higher Education

08 Getting back to work

09 Learning at work

10 Learning in the community

10 Reading, Writing and Maths

11 Funding for learning Student Finance Wales

Student Loans Higher Education

Maintinance Loans Higher Education

Tuition Fees Higher Education

Tuition Fee Grant Higher Education Financial Contingency Funds

Assembly Learning Grant Further Education

Assembly Learning Grant Higher Education

Individual Learning Account(ILA) Wales

Professional Career DevelopmentLoans (PCDL)

Childcare Support

Parents Learning Allowance

Adults Dependant Grant

Disabled Student Allowances

16 Learning at Work Modern Apprenticeship

Foundation Modern Apprenticeship

Modern Skills Diploma

Redundancy Action (ReAct)

GO Wales

19 Grants and Bursaries Teacher Training Support

NHS Bursaries

Charities

Employer Support

Trade Union Support

22 Further Benefits Child Tax Credit

Income Support

Jobseekers Allowance

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Exemption

Help with Health Costs

24 Find out more


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Learningis priceless

skills training potential

Your

Learning is priceless. It opens doorsto opportunities and can make a realdifference to your life.

You can do it!Embrace new skills and qualifications, meetnew friends and increase your confidence.

But what about the cost of learning?Can you really afford it?

The good news is that there are manysources available to help meet individualsfinancial needs. One or more of them maywell apply to you.

Your future.Your choice.

Your action.


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2

age circumstances eligibility

Your

The financial support available will depend onyour situation, including personal income andfamily circumstances, your age, where youwant to study and whether you are learningfull or part-time.

Funding can be obtained in the form of a directcash grant, a loan, a free pass or reduced fee levels.

Support can come from the Welsh AssemblyGovernment, the local council or directly fromthe learning provider where you plan to study.

Remember to ask if your course is backed byEuropean Funds as this might make it cheaperfor you or even free of charge.

Support may be available from an employer, atrade union, a charitable foundation or trust, abank or even the European Union. See the section

on special grants and bursaries pages 19 21.Sponsorship or a scholarship is a possibility if youshow real flair in the field you want to study. This isto ensure that cash problems dont stand in theway of real talent.

If you or your family are on benefit of any kind,make sure you check how any support you receivefor your learning might affect your benefits.

Check out the benefits section on pages 22 23 orcall your local Jobcentre Plus office for more details.

You may qualify for housing benefit on a part-timecourse to help you with your rent or for anexemption or reduction in your Council Tax.Check the Housing Benefit and Council Taxsections on pages 23 and 24 and call your localcouncil for more details.

Heres a breakdown of who might qualify forfunding and whats available


Whatson offer?


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Yourquick guide

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Type of funding FE HE LW / GBW CL

Adults Dependants Grant

Assembly Learning Grant

Professional Career Development Loan

Charitable Scholarship/Bursary

Child Benefit

Childcare Support

Child Tax Credit

Council Tax Exemption/Reduction

Dance & Drama Awards


Employer Support

Financial Contingency Fund

Flexible Learning Provision

Foundation Modern Apprenticeship

GO Wales

Help with Health Costs

Housing Benefit

Income Support

Type of funding FE HE LW / GBW CL


Modern Apprenticeship

Modern Skills Diploma

New Deal

NHS Bursaries


Passport to Study Grant

Pre Apprenticeships

Redundancy Action (ReAct)

Skill Build

Student Loans

Teacher Training Support

Trade Union Support

Tuition Fee Support

Working Tax Credit

FE Further EducationHE Higher EducationLW / GBW Learning at work / Getting back to workCL Community Learning

NB: This is a general guide and is by no means a definitive list of the sources of funding available. It is only accurate at the time of going to press.For further details please contact the relevant organisation mentioned in this publication.


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Full-timestudy guide

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grants funds loans

Your

Further EducationIf youre studying full-time, you may be chargedtuition fees. Most further education collegeshave policies that offer either free or discountedtuition to learners on means-tested benefits,on low income or disabled. You may also qualifyfor the following:

Assembly Learning Grant fromStudent Finance Wales.

Financial Contingency Funds via your localfurther education college.

A Career Development Loan can help you withcosts such as fees and materials if you dontqualify for any other support, providing thelearning is vocational (vocational means itgives you the skills needed for an occupation,trade or profession).

For further information on the support availablefor further education, contact the student welfareor awards officer at your college.

Higher Education

Going to university can be a happy yet expensivetime but, if youre studying full-time, there is arange of support available to help you. You mayapply for the following:

Student Finance Wales services are availableto you if you normally live in Wales. They couldhelp you with your tuition fees as well as thecost of living through a Student Loan orAssembly Learning Grant, depending onyour personal circumstances.

There is a range of extra support if you havedependants including an: Adult DependantsGrant, Parents Learning Allowance and aChildcare Grant if you expect to have childcarecosts whilst you are learning.

If you have a disability and you need extrasupport or equipment in order to access yourcourse, Disabled Student Allowances will helpcover the costs.

For more information contact your local authorityor call 0845 602 8845 or visitwww.studentfinancewales.co.uk


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ExtraSupport

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family responsibilities extra support

Your

There is a range of extra support if you have dependants includingan: Adult Dependants Grant, Parents Learning Allowance and aChildcare Grant.



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Part-timestudy guide

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grants funds loans

Your

Further EducationIf you are in part time education you maybe charged tuition fees. If you are in receiptof means-tested benefits, on low income orare disabled, you may be eligible for free ordiscounted tuition. Contact your local collegefor further information, www.mylocalcollege.com

Your college may also be able to help you throughthe following support:

Financial Contingency Fund this is designedto cover the cost of learning materials, travel,childcare and living costs it depends on yourcircumstances and the level of your income.

A Professional Career Development Loan

may help you with costs such as fees andmaterials if you dont qualify for any othersupport, providing the learning is vocational.

Jobseekers Allowance is available if youreout of work and studying part-time as long asyour course is less than 16 hours a week andyou can show youre still available for work.Check this with your local Jobcentre Plus.

Individual Learning Accounts Wales areavailable if youre unemployed or, if yourqualifications are no higher than level 2(equivalent to o level or GCSE) theres a goodchance youll qualify to help fund your learning.

You may be eligible for an Assembly LearningGrant if you are studying a course that involvesat least 275 hours of study and leads to anationally recognised qualification.


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Higher EducationIf youre on a part-time course in Wales that is 50%or more of an equivalent full-time course you canapply for the following from Student Finance Wales:

Fee grant to help with the cost of your fees and acourse grant to meet the cost of books, traveland course expenditure, depending on yourhousehold income.

If your course amounts to 30 credits per year,you may also be eligible for the following:

Financial Contingency Fund may also be eligibleto apply for help if you are studying in Wales.

A Career Development Loan if you can showyour course will benefit your job prospects.

Part-time higher education students withdisabilities can apply for a Disabled StudentsAllowance designed to pay for any equipment orstaff support directly related to their disability.


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Getting backto work

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training interviews career path

Your

If youve been out of a job for a while,you can take part in the following:

New Deal which helps you back into work.Ask for details at your local Jobcentre Plus.

Skill Build if youre out of work will help youget into the job market. Depending on yourcircumstances you may be eligible forimmediate access. This training is designedto increase your basic skills and confidenceand will pave the way for you to pursue aqualification at a higher level.

Individual Learning Account Wales check if youqualify for this it could help pay for additionallearning to improve your job prospects.

Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit people onwork based learning programmes can still obtainthis. If you currently receive Jobseekers Allowanceyou will continue to receive this while you learn.

ReAct If you are under current notice ofredundancy, or you have become unemployedin the last six months as a result of redundancyand have not been in continuous employment forsix weeks or more since being made redundant,

you may be eligible for support under ReAct.

This is a package of support that will assist youin gaining new skills to improve your chancesof returning to work in the shortest timepossible. Depending on your circumstances thesupport can include a contribution towards the

cost of training, and in some cases financialsupport for special equipment needs, trainingmaterials, travel costs and childcare provision.


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Learningat work

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aims ambitions career

Your


Whether youre starting your career or anestablished worker wanting to move ahead,there are several ways to get support todevelop your skills.

Foundation Modern Apprenticeship or a ModernApprenticeship if you combine a job with theseyou wont have to pay for the training. Howeveryour employer may have to make a contribution.While youre training youll also receive a wage or

in certain cases training allowance. Modern Skills Diploma if youre already in work

and want a flexible way to gain higher level skills.

Flexible Learning Provision gives you the optionof undertaking one or more qualifications from aModern Apprenticeship or Foundation Modern

Apprenticeship that is relevant and appropriateto your employers needs without having tocomplete the entire course for an apprenticeship.

Pre Apprenticeships has been designed to giveyou the literacy and numercacy skills you willneed to progress on to a full apprenticeship.These skills are the first step towards gainingnew skills and knowledge; they are skills thathelp you to move forward and on in your life. They

also develop your confidence and self-esteem.

Individual Learning Account Wales while youregaining new skills at work you may want toimprove your prospects further through adulteducation. The other funds will also be availablefor part time learning.

Please note if youve got a disability you may stillqualify for certain benefits during your training.Its best to check with your local Jobcentre Plus.In certain circumstances you might qualify forCouncil Tax Exemption or reduction during yourtraining. Check this out with your local council.


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Learning inthe community

Reading, writingand maths

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fees sorted childcare covered second chance

Your

words numbers barrier?

YourThere are hundreds of part-time adult educationcourses available in community centres andsimilar locations close to where you live. You mayalso be eligible for help with the following:

Career Development Loan if your course leadsto a work related qualification.

Individual Learning Accounts Wales areavailable if youre unemployed or if yourqualifications are no higher than level 2(equivalent to o level or GCSE) theres a goodchance youll qualify to help fund your learning.

Transport, childcare and learning materialscheck with your local council for details.

If youre tackling basic literacy skills andnumber work problems you may qualify forfree or discounted tuition fees. For detailscontact the learning and careers advice lineon 0800 100 900.


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Fundingfor learning

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funding guide moment

Your


Student Finance WalesIf you are a full-time student in higher educationyou may have two main costs to pay your livingcosts; and your contribution towards tuition fees.If you normally live in Wales, Student FinanceWales could help with both:

Student Loans

Higher Education Student Loans are available to pay for living

(maintenance) expenses and the cost oftuition fees.

Student loans are not commercial loans. Theyare provided by the Government, with the interestrate linked to inflation so that the money yourepay is the same in real terms as the money

you borrowed. You start repaying the loans whenyou are earning more than 15,000 a year andthen at a rate of 9% of any income you receiveabove the 15,000 a year threshold.

Maintenance LoansHigher Education

These are designed to help with your living costswhile youre studying. Three annual rates areavailable if you start your studies in 2009, therates are:

Living at home 3,673

Living away from home 4,745

Living away from home and studying inLondon 6,648.

The maintenance loan comes from StudentFinance Wales and youll qualify if you are agedunder 60 and pursuing a full-time or sandwichcourse in higher education, including initialteacher training. For further information contactyour local authority or call the Student FinanceWales Contact Centre on 0845 602 8845 or visitwww.studentfinancewales.co.uk


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Fundingfor learning

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Tuition Fee LoansHigher EducationTuition fees dont have to be paid before you startyour course. Regardless of where you study in theUK you can apply for a tuition fee loan for all orpart of your fees, which is paid directly to yourplace of study. If you live in Wales you can applyfor a loan for part of your fees left after yourtuition fee grant is taken into account, so you

only have to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to1285. You wont start repaying your loan untilafter you leave your course and start earningover 15,000 a year.

Tuition Fee grantHigher EducationIf you normally live in Wales and choose to studyat a university or college in Wales you can applyfor a fee grant of up to 1,940 a year whichdoes not have to be repaid. This tuition fee grantis available regardless of your family income,and is paid directly to your place of study.For further information contact your local

authority or call Student Finance Wales ContactCentre on 0845 602 8845.

Part-time students on courses in Wales that are50% or more of an equivalent full-time coursecan apply for support. This includes a fee grantof up to 955. You can also apply for assistancewith course related costs worth up to 1,075.Students who already have a degree cannotnormally apply for this support.

Alternatively, if youre studying part-time at aWelsh institution and youre a mature studentor have dependants, you might be eligible forsupport under the part-time undergraduate feewaiver scheme. However, if you receive supportunder this scheme you will not be able to receivethe part-time fee grant and course grant above.For further details contact the institution whereyou plan to study.

Financial Contingency FundsSometimes known as Access or Hardship Funds,these are funds designed to help students facingfinancial hardship to meet the cost of things likebooks, travel, childcare, accommodation orgeneral living expenses.

You can apply at the start of your course or duringyour course, if financial problems arise. It is up toyour university or college to decide whether youshould receive an award from the FinancialContingency Fund.

Sometimes this money is given as a short termloan, or paid directly to a third party such as achildcare provider, instead of a cash grant.Its up to the university or college to decide.To qualify for support you must be studying ata publicly funded further or higher educationinstitution in Wales. If you are a part-time higher

education student you must be studying at leasthalf of an equivalent full-time course. Similararrangements to the Financial Contingency Fundapply in England through the Access to LearningFund and Learner Support Funds schemes.


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Assembly Learning GrantFurther EducationGovernment, this grant provides support to helppeople from low-income families to access andremain in further education. It covers the cost ofbooks, equipment and travel. To qualify you muststudy at least 275 hours a year on a course thatleads to a nationally recognised qualification.

To qualify, you or your familys income mustbe less than 17,250 a year.

The maximum grant is 1,500 for full timestudy and 750 for part time. For moreinformation contact your local college or localauthority or visit www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

Assembly Learning GrantHigher EducationThis is a grant available to full-time studentsstarting higher education courses. In 2009 it is agrant of up to 2,906 a year. The help you mayreceive depends on your income and families.

If this income is 18,370 or less, you will beentitled to the full amount of grant.

If the income is between 18,370 and 39,329you will receive part of the grant.

If the income is over 39,329, you will not beentitled to the grant.

The Assembly Learning Grant is usually paid withyour student loan. It does not have to be repaid.

For further information contact your localauthority or call the Student Finance WalesContact Centre on 0845 602 8845 or visitwww.studentfinancewales.co.uk



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Fundingfor learning

Professional CareerDevelopment Loans (PCDL)

These are loans of between 300 and 10,000which you can borrow to support any courseof learning that will help you in your career.

The Government pays the interest while yourelearning and you dont start repaying until youfinish. It will cover up to 80% of your course fees

or 100% if youve been out of work for 3 monthsor more, plus the cost of books and otherlearning materials.

The loans come from three high street bankstaking part in the scheme and anyone canqualify, particularly if they dont qualify forfunding through their local authority. For moreinformation call the CDL Information Line on0800 585 505.

Individual Learning Account(ILA) Wales

Finding well paid work can be difficult if you donthave any relevant qualifications or the money topay for education and training. IndividualLearning Accounts Wales (ILA Wales) could helpyou pay for your training to improve your skillsand get that perfect job. If you or your partner isclaiming income related benefits you could get

up to 200 towards the cost of your learning.

If you are not claiming income related benefit youcould still get up to 100 a year provided that youhave no formal qualifications or the highestqualification you hold is no higher than a GCSEor equivalent. You can use your ILA Wales to helppay for fees and books to be used on the courseyou choose. Its not a loan or credit card, so themoney you get does not have to be paid back.

To apply for an ILA Wales please contact thelearning and careers advice line, the nationallearning advice line on 0800 100 900.

Childcare SupportIf you are in full-time higher education and needhelp with childcare costs, you can claim towardsthe costs of registered or accredited childcareduring term time and short vacations.

One child 157.25 per week

Two or more children 267.75 per week

For further information contact your local

authority, or call the StudentFinance WalesContact Centre on 0845 602 8845.

If you are in Further Education or part-timeHigher Education and are studying at aninstitution or college in Wales you can apply forhelp from the following:

Financial Contingency Fund, Wales

Access to Learning Fund and Learner Support

Funds, England (for more information contactyour university or college).


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Adult Dependants GrantThis is designed to help you support adultdependants in your household while yourestudying full-time in higher education. You canclaim up to 2,580 a year if you have a husband,wife or partner or another adult member of yourfamily who depends on you financially. The grantavailable will depend on your own and yourdependants income. For more information

contact your local authority or call the StudentFinance Wales Contact Centre on 0845 602 8845or visit www.studentfinancewales.co.uk


If youre disabled and you need additionalequipment or support in order to undertakea course or training programme, a Disabled

Student Allowance (DSA) will help cover the cost.Extra support from the DSA could includethe following:

Specialist equipment.

A non-medical helpers allowance.

Help towards the additional costs of travellingto your institution.

A general allowance. These allowances areavailable if youre studying full-time orpart-time in higher education.

If youre studying part-time, you must be doingat least the equivalent of half a full-time course.

Claim up to 5,035 for equipment for the wholeperiod of your course

Claim up to 20,000a year for specialist

non-medical staff, or 15,000 if part-time. A Disabled Student Allowance of up to 1,685

if youre full-time or 1,260 if youre part-time.

This allowance doesnt depend on your incomeand you dont have to pay it back. Ask your localauthority for more details.

If you are on a work based learning course youcan apply for help from the learning providerwhere youre studying. If you are staying inschool or are learning in the community youshould apply for help from the local councilwhere youre studying.

For information about childcare that isavailable in your area call 0800 096 0296or visit www.childcarelink.gov.uk


The Parents Learning Allowance, worth up to1,470 per year, will help with course relatedcosts for students who have dependant children.This grant is available to full-time highereducation students. How much you get dependson your income and that of your dependants(including your husband, wife or partner).

Your Local Education Authority will be able toadvise you on how much help you might get.Jobcentre Plus will not count this grant whenthey work out your benefit entitlement.



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Learningat work

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funding guide opportunities

Your

To guarantee a flow of cash during your studies.At the very least youll get a training allowanceand very often youll get paid a wage this includes:

Modern Apprenticeships

For people of any age who want to learn while ina job and gain a qualification at NVQ level three.

It combines practical job training with off-the-

job learning and youll get paid a wage.

You wont be asked to pay, but your employerwill usually contribute towards the cost ofthe training.

Foundation Modern ApprenticeshipsFor people of any age who want to learn while ina job and gain a qualification at NVQ level two.

Youll be paid the wage for the job if yourewith an employer or a training allowance ifyoure on placement at a training centre.

You may receive a financial contributiontowards travel costs and, in some areas,

support for childcare.

This training is designed to pave the wayfor many people to pursue a full ModernApprenticeship.


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Modern Skills DiplomaThis gives you extra skills if youre already inwork. You continue to earn your normal wagewhile the scheme pays for:

FREE training off the job to bring your skillsup to NVQ level four.

New Deal

If youve been unemployed for a while this givesyou an allowance equivalent to a JobseekersAllowance.

It will support you in a job placement withtraining or in full-time education or trainingleading to a job related skill. That includes payingyour course fees and helping you with the costof books, equipment and travel.

Youll qualify if youre unemployed and agedbetween 18 and retirement age. There areseparate programmes to help you if yourea lone parent, over 50, or you are disabled.These programmes help you with things l ikechildcare or disability aids.

Redundancy Action (ReAct)If you are under current notice of redundancy,or you have become unemployed in the last sixmonths as a result of redundancy and have notbeen in continuous employment for six weeksor more since being made redundant, you maybe eligible

for support under ReAct. This is a package ofsupport that will assist you in gaining new skillsto improve your chances of returning to work inthe shortest time possible. Depending onyour circumstances the support can includea contribution towards the cost of training,and in some cases financial support for specialequipment needs, training materials, travel costsand childcare provision.

Any support is additional to, and will be offeredin collaboration with, a wide range of support on

offer from our partner organisations, includingJobcentre Plus and Careers Wales. For furtherdetails contact youre nearest Careers WalesCentre/Shop.



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Learningat work

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Flexible Learning ProvisionGives you the option of undertaking one or morequalifications from a Modern Apprenticeship orFoundation Modern Apprenticeship that isrelevant and appropriate to your employersneeds without having to complete the entirecourses for an apprenticeship.

Skill BuildIf youre out of work Skill Build will help youget into the job market. Depending on yourcircumstances you may be eligible for immediateaccess. This training is designed to increase yourbasic skills and confidence and will pave the wayfor you to pursue a qualification at a higher level.

Pre ApprenticeshipsPre Apprenticeship has been designed to give youthe literacy and numercacy skills you will need toprogress on to a full apprenticeship.These skillsare the first step towards gaining new skills andknowledge; they are skills that help you to moveforward and on in your life. They also develop yourconfidence and self-esteem.

GO WalesGO Wales offers a range of services proven tohelp students, graduates and businesses inWales including: work placements, workexperience, funding for training and an onlinedatabase of jobs in Wales. For futher informationgo to www.gowales.co.uk


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Grants andbursaries

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talents hopes goals

Your


In addition to local councils, colleges,universities and government agencies there aremany other organisations that provide supportfor learners. These are often charities andfoundations that have set up funds to encouragetalented people to pursue specific careers.

Teacher Training Support

There is special help available if you are planningto start teacher training, including a bursary of7,200 for priority subjects including maths,science, foreign languages, design & technology,ICT, English (including drama), Welsh, Music andRE and 4,200 for other secondary subjects andprimary level courses if you are already a

graduate. If your course leads to Qualified TeacherStatus youll get your tuition fees paid in full.

If youre postgraduate teacher training courseis at a college in Wales and in one of the prioritysubjects listed above you may qualify for an extragrant of 5,000 (maths and science) or 2,500 forthe other priority subjects when you start yoursecond year of teaching.

If you are following a secondary postgraduate

course training through the medium of Welshmay be eligible for the 1,500 Welsh mediumincentive supplement (1,800 for trainees takingscience and mathematics courses). When youqualify there is an expectation that you will lookfor a post in a Welsh medium school. You can

get more information on teacher training supportfrom the Welsh Language Teaching InformationLine on 0845 6000 992. English speakers in Walescan call the Teaching Information Line on 08456000 991, where you can also get information onthe financial incentives available for studentsattending teacher training courses at collegesin England.


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Grants andbursaries

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NHS BursariesNHS Bursaries are available for full-time or part-time pre registration courses in a wide variety ofsubject areas. To be eligible you must be acceptedfor an NHS funded place. If you are an NHSfunded student studying at degree or diplomalevel, you will also have to meet certain conditionsof residence.

NHS students studying a degree level course are

eligible for payments from the following:

Financial Contingency Fund (or Access toLearning Fund if you are studying in England).

A reduced-rate student loan from your localeducation authority.

However, if you are studying at Diploma(post-graduate) level you will not be eligiblefor these payments. For further information

contact the NHS Wales Students Awards Uniton 02920 196 167 or, if you are planning tostudy in England, visit the NHS PensionsAgency Student Grants websitewww.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students

CharitiesThere are a large number of charitable foundationsacross the UK that provide scholarships andbursaries to fund the education of mature studentsinterested in studying something related to thefield covered by the charity concerned. Usuallyonly a handful of grants are made by any oneorganisation each year. If you do get funding youmight be asked to do a report or make a

presentation on your studies.For information on financial backing from charitablefoundations or similar organisations contact theEducational Grants Advisory Service on 020 72546251, or refer in your local library to the CharitiesDigest which contains information on more than5,000 charities and other voluntary organisations.

www.family-action.org.uk provides usefulinformation on Educational Grants Programme.


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Employer SupportIf youve already undertaken training with anemployer they may be willing to sponsor you tofurther your degree or diploma at university orfurther education college. This can take the formof paying for your fees and books.

If you are studying for the following:

Part-time you may get paid for the time youre

away from the workplace attending classesor lectures.

Full-time you may not get a wage while youreaway, but youre usually guaranteed out-of-termwork back with your sponsoring employer.

There is usually an understanding that you willcontinue to work with that employer for a periodafter you complete your studies, so they can getthe benefit of your new knowledge and skills.

Many companies have employee developmentschemes to help their staff to fund other kinds oflearning, so its worth consulting the personneldepartment or other relevant person to seewhats on offer. Its entirely up to your employerhow much support they give, so youll need todiscuss it with them and agree a package.


Trade Union SupportTrade Unions often have funds set aside to helpmembers. This is sometimes confined to studyrelated to the occupational field covered by theunion. The amounts available vary from union tounion, but these are not usually large sums andyou would probably have to combine them withcash from other sources.

Guidance on union support for learning can

be obtained from The General Federation ofTrades Unions Educational Trust. Call themon 020 7520 8340.


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Furtherbenefits

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extra income helping hand new start

Your

Although most full-time students are notentitled to social security benefits, certainstudents, including single parents anddisabled students, may be eligible for socialsecurity benefits.

If you want to take a course of full-time educationyou should always ask at your local JobcentrePlus office how this will affect your benefits.

Child Tax Credit

Students with children will be entitled to claim ChildTax Credit from the Inland Revenue, which is paidto parents whether or not they are working orstudying. To qualify for Child Tax Credit you must:be responsible for a child under 16. You can claim ifthe child or young person is: aged 16 and under, up

to 1 September after their 16th birthday; aged under19, 20 in certain circumstances; if theyre still infull time education (up to and including A levels,NVQ level three or approved training like SkillBuild and Foundation Modern Apprenticeships).

If the young person is aged between 16 and 17and theyre not in full time education, you canclaim Child Tax Credit if all of the followingapply: they dont have a job or training place

(unless on an approved training course); theyhave signed up with the Careers Service.

You will qualify for Child Tax Credit at a higherrate if your child or one of your children is underone year old or is disabled. Students receivingthe maximum amount of Child Tax Credit arealso entitled to free school meals for their

children. How much you get will depend onyour circumstances.

To find out if you are eligible call the Tax CreditInformation Line on 0845 300 3900 (option 4)or visit www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

Income Support

Income Support is available if you are on a low

income and not working, or working an average ofless than 16 hours per week, you may qualify forIncome Support. If youre studying full or part-timeyou may be able to claim income support if yourea lone parent, sick, disabled or registered blind.

The amount of Income Support you get depends alsoon your partners income if you live with a partner.


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Contact your local social security office formore details.

For enquires/claims for income support, job seekersallowance, employment and support allowance call 0800 055 66 88, text phone 0800 023 48 88.


Jobseekers Allowance is for people who are

actively looking for employment. In certaincircumstances you can still receive this allowanceif youre studying part-time, as long as youreavailable for work. This rule also applies toOpen University courses.

If you have been out of work for two years or more,you can do a full-time course linked to specificemployment, without losing your allowance.

In addition, full-time students may qualify for

Jobseekers Allowance during the summervacation if they are responsible for a child.The level of support depends either upon yourprevious National Insurance payments or uponyour current income.

Contact your local Jobcentre Plus for more details.

Housing BenefitHousing Benefit helps you with the cost of your rentif youre on a low income. You wouldnt normallyqualify if youre a full-time student, but you maybe able to get this support if youre disabled, havechildren, or are having to live away from yourparents and are in receipt of Income Support.

Your local council will advise you and provideyou with application

Council Tax Exemption

You dont normally have to pay council tax ifyoure in full-time further or higher education.This could save you several hundred pounds ayear or even more, depending on which councilarea youre based in. You may also be able to geta reduction in your council tax if your partner is

a full-time student. For further information ask your local council.

Help with Health costsIf youre studying full-time you may be able toget help with health costs, including free NHSprescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests andglasses, if you need them. If you need to makeregular visits to hospital, you may also be eligibleto claim towards your transport costs.

For further information call 0845 850 1166 23.


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Your future.Your choice.

Your action.

These are just some of the ways you can get financial and practicalsupport for your learning.

For more detailed information and advice, contact your local Careers WalesCentre/Shop or visit www.careerswales.com

For information on education support, contact your local authority. Theresalso a useful piece of software known as Fundfinder which will help youfind literally hundreds of potential sources of support. It will also show youhow to apply.

A larger text format of this brochure can be downloaded on ourpublications page at www.wales.gov.uk

You can also get Braille and audio-tape versions of this guide by calling08456 088066.

0800 100 900 YourFutureChoiceAction.org.uk

For more information:

Call the learning and careers advice line FREE on 0800 100 900

Contact your local Jobcentre Plus office

Contact your local Careers Centre/Shop

Visit www.wales.gov.uk

Visit www.careerswales.com

funding guide english

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