AEROSPACE Msc BURSARY SCHEME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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AEROSPACE MSc BURSARY SCHEME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GENERAL 1. What is this Scheme? 2. Why is support being offered for aerospace engineering MScs? 3. How is this Scheme relevant to current STEM undergraduates? 4. What financial support does this Scheme offer? 5. Does the Scheme apply in Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland? 6. What university programmes are eligible? ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 7. Who is the Scheme for? 8. Which companies can take part? 9. What other eligibility criteria are there? 10. I plan to live and work outside the UK when I complete my MSc. Is this Scheme for me? BENEFITS OF BEING AWARDED A BURSARY 11. What benefits are there in taking part in the Scheme? 12. Will winning a bursary help me find employment in the UK aerospace sector? 13. How do I find out more about aerospace careers? HOW TO APPLY 14. What do I need to do and when? 15. Do I need to secure a place at a university before I apply for a bursary? 16. Can I submit applications for study at more than one university? 17. How important is my interest in working in the aerospace sector? 18. Can I ask an aerospace company to support my application? 19. Do I have to find employer support for my application? 20. Who assesses the bursary applications? 21. What will happen at interview? 22. What will improve my chances of success at interview? 23. Who will receive the funding? GENERAL 24. What is CEng? Aerospace MSc Bursary Scheme Partners: BAE Systems GKN Aerospace Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Bombardier Aerospace Belfast MBDA Missile Systems Department for Employment and Learning, Airbus Group Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (a Safran group Northern Ireland Finmeccanica UK company) Aerospace Growth Partnership GE Aviation Systems Rolls-Royce Spirit Aerosystems (Europe) 1 ABOUT THE SCHEME 1. What is this Government, leading companies in the aerospace sector, the Royal Scheme? Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) created the bursary scheme to boost the supply of high-Level aero engineering skills to the UK economy. The national strategy for UK aerospace is led by the AGP (Aerospace Growth Partnership) Its purpose is to bring into the UK aerospace sector new talent, knowledge and skill. It is designed for people who would not otherwise be able to finance their MSc studies. It is also to upskill certain categories of employee already working in UK aerospace, and to increase the number of professional engineers qualified to CEng level working in the sector. Funding is available to pay tuition fees for up to 500 students undertaking taught MSc programmes at UK universities, starting in academic years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16. The full list of eligible programmes is at www.raeng.org.uk/aeromsc. 2. Why is support The aerospace sector is a great UK success story. UK companies are global being offered for leaders. The sector is growing at about 5% per annum and will continue aerospace to offer excellent long-term careers. Aerospace is a high value, knowledge engineering MScs? intensive sector that requires and rewards high levels of skills. UK Government and businesses are keen to see the sector grow strongly, and take advantage of massive growth opportunities. Masters’ programmes enhance the skills of existing company employees, and prepare new graduates for high-level jobs in aerospace engineering. 3. How is this Scheme Because of the specialised, complex and rapidly changing technologies relevant to current used in the aerospace sector, major employers often prefer to recruit STEM1 Masters level graduates: however, with no student loans available, study undergraduates? at Masters level is too costly for many BSc and BEng holders. This Scheme is designed to attract entrants to the sector who would not otherwise be able to aspire to it. We encourage students capable of tackling an MSc in engineering to find out more about opportunities in aerospace. 4. What financial Awards will fund 100% of MSc tuition fees up to a maximum of £9,500. support does this However, if you are currently employed by an SME in the UK aerospace Scheme offer? sector, the bursary Scheme will fund only 75% of the cost of your tuition fees up to a maximum contribution of £9,500. The scheme does not offer funding for living expenses. 1 Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Aerospace MSc Bursary Scheme Partners: BAE Systems GKN Aerospace Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Bombardier Aerospace Belfast MBDA Missile Systems Department for Employment and Learning, Airbus Group Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (a Safran group Northern Ireland Finmeccanica UK company) Aerospace Growth Partnership GE Aviation Systems Rolls-Royce Spirit Aerosystems (Europe) 2 5. Does the Scheme Yes. You can apply for study at a university anywhere in the UK. See Q6 apply in Wales, for details of the eligible MSc programmes. Scotland, England and Northern Ireland? 6. What university A list of eligible MSc programmes is at www.raeng.org.uk/aeromsc. You programmes are can also apply for a bursary to study an MSc that is not on this list; you eligible? will need to justify on the application form how this is relevant to your future employment in UK aerospace and/or to your current employer’s business. Applicants who select degrees in Aerodynamics or Computational Fluid Dynamics must make a compelling case if they are to be awarded a bursary. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 7. Who is the Scheme This Scheme is for people who: for? - Would not have previously considered a career in aerospace engineering, or - Would not have been able to access MSc study in aerospace engineering because of the cost of postgraduate study, or - Are already employed by one of the Bursary Scheme partner companies or by an SME in the UK aerospace sector and are nominated by their employer. The Scheme welcomes people who are qualified in another engineering discipline or in mathematics, physics or other related technical subjects. We are keen to receive applications from a diverse range of suitably qualified applicants. We cannot accept your application if you are - Currently employed by a firm in the UK aerospace sector which is not a Bursary Scheme Partner or an SME; or are - Currently employed as an engineer in another sector where there are engineering skills shortages. 8. Which companies Partner companies, listed at the bottom of the page, can nominate their can take part? employees who apply to the Scheme. Those employees are assessed in competition with other candidates and, if successful, will receive a bursary Continued below worth 100% of the tuition fee up to £9500. The company assists its employee’s studies through mentoring, project work etc. Aerospace MSc Bursary Scheme Partners: BAE Systems GKN Aerospace Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Bombardier Aerospace Belfast MBDA Missile Systems Department for Employment and Learning, Airbus Group Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (a Safran group Northern Ireland Finmeccanica UK company) Aerospace Growth Partnership GE Aviation Systems Rolls-Royce Spirit Aerosystems (Europe) 3 SMEs that are part of the aerospace supply chain can take part in the same way. In these cases successful applicants will receive a bursary worth 75% of the tuition fee up to £9500. The employer or individual concerned must pay the remaining 25%. These are the only categories of company whose employees are eligible. However, other companies within the UK aerospace sector are encouraged to provide a letter of support for independent applicants to the Scheme and to support students through mentoring, projects etc. 9. What other Nominated applicants, i.e. applicants who are already employed by a eligibility criteria partner company or an SME in the aerospace sector, must be working in are there? the UK in the aerospace sector on the first day of the MSc programme. See also Q2 & Q3 Independent and Supported applicants, i.e. all applicants who are not Nominated as described above, must be: - Ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of the MSc programme (with the exception of frontier students* studying in the UK). - And one of the following: o EU nationals (including UK nationals) including direct family members as long as they have been ordinarily resident in the EEA for the last three years; or o Nationals of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland who are working in the UK, including direct family members and who have been ordinarily resident in the EEA for the last three years; or o UK residents with ‘settled immigration status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay) who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the last three years; or o Refugees and people who have been granted humanitarian protection including direct family members ordinarily residing in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course; or o Children of Swiss nationals who have resided in the UK where the children have been resident in the EU/EEA or Switzerland for the last three years; or o Children of Turkish nationals who have resided in the UK where the children have been resident in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Turkey for the last three years. * “Frontier students” refers to students who study in the territory of one country and reside in the territory of another country, to which they return as a rule daily or at least once a week. 10. I plan to live and No. The scheme is intended only for people who are committed to living work outside the and working in the UK in the long term. Aerospace MSc Bursary Scheme Partners: BAE Systems GKN Aerospace Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Bombardier Aerospace Belfast MBDA Missile Systems Department for Employment and Learning, Airbus Group Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (a Safran group Northern Ireland Finmeccanica UK company) Aerospace Growth Partnership GE Aviation Systems Rolls-Royce Spirit Aerosystems (Europe) 4 UK when I complete my MSc.