Part-time Home (UK) student funding

You can apply for a non means-tested loan each year to cover the full amount of your tuition fees. You can choose to borrow a lesser amount (or none). Eligibility for the loan may be affected if you have previously studied in higher education.

The fee loan is paid directly to the University. Find out how and when you repay your loan.

If you already have an honours degree, you will not qualify for financial support from SFE.

To qualify:

• you will need to register on a designated programme that is equivalent to at least 25% of a full-time degree course (30 credits or more), and
• the course has to last for at least one academic year, and
• you need to be classified as a Home or EU resident student.

There is no age limit.

You can apply for additional support if you have study-related expenses arising from a disability. These allowances are not means-tested. The yearly rate is up to £15,390 for non-medical personal helper and a general Disabled Students' Allowance of up to £1,293.

The specialist equipment allowance is £5,161 for the duration of the course. More information is found in the booklet 'Bridging the Gap', which is available to download from Directgov.

From the summer before you start your course, you should be able to get an application form (PTG1) from the government information line on +44(0)800 731 9133, or you can download one from Student Finance England.

You may be eligible to receive a UWE Bursary. Successful students will receive a pro rata cash award based on how much of a full-time course is studied in the first year. For example, if you are taking 50% of a full-time course in your first year, you will be entitled to a bursary of £500. Find out whether you are eligible for the UWE Bursary.

There is also the Access to Learning Fund to support students in financial difficulty.

If you are a part-time UK student in severe financial hardship you may be eligible for help with costs directly related to your studies. These can include childcare and travel on study days, but not general living costs.

See Directgov’s Student finance: an introduction.

There are two types of undergraduate fee waivers for 2012/13:

1. If you are entitled to the maximum fee grant from SFE or your devolved funding body, but your fees are higher than the grant, you can apply for a waiver of the balance. The waiver is dependent on receipt of the maximum fee grant.
2. Alternatively, you can apply for a fee waiver if you are:
   • on one of the qualifying means-tested benefits at the start of the year,  or
   • on a low income (see application form for details),

   and you are ineligible for the fee grant because you:

   • already have an honours degree,
   • you are taking a taster module,
   • you are not registered for a designated award,
   • you are taking fewer than 60 credits in this academic year.

Please note: If you are ineligible for SFE funding, and are applying under category 2 (see above), the fund is limited, and you may not be successful even if you meet the eligibility criteria.

How to apply

Please print out, complete and return the undergraduate fee waiver application form.

Closing date for applications

The closing date for SFE applications is the last day of February for courses starting in the Autumn term. There is no closing date for the UWE Fee Waivers. However, as the waivers are paid for from the Access to Learning Fund, successful applications depend on funds still being available.