The Advice & Representation Centre S Guide To

The Advice & Representation Centre’s Guide to Postgraduate Funding

Studying for a postgraduate course is an exciting prospect for a lot of students but have you thought about how you are going to fund your studies? The government doesn’t subsidise postgraduate learning in the way that they do with undergraduate courses, so here a few avenues you can explore.

Brunel University’s Graduate School offer wealth of advice on funding of postgraduate studies for RESEARCH students; please follow the link and click on “Guide to postgraduate funding” http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/graduate-school/training-development-and- support/research-students

BANKS

Career Development Loan (CDL) CDLs provide anywhere between £300 and £10,000 for postgraduate study of up to two years. The loan can be used for 80% of your course fees (unless you are unemployed for three months prior to your course starting, in which case you will get 100% of your course fees covered). If you are employed for less than 30 hours a week you can also apply for money to cover your living costs. Interest on your loan is paid for you during your course and for a month after it and you would normally set up a repayment plan with your bank before the loan is processed. To be eligible you must be 18 or over, ‘settled’ in the UK, and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the three years prior to the start of your learning programme. You should also be intending to work in the UK, the EU or the EEA when the course finishes.

Further information can be obtained from the banks directly or by calling the Professional and Career Development Loan information line on 0800 585 505 or go to https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans/overview Brunel’s learning provider number, which you will need for your application, is 1249.

Professional Loans All High Street banks will offer loans but there are a few specialist options available to you if you are studying for a professional qualification. Natwest Bank offers a Professional Trainee Loan of up to £20,000 available to students studying for full-time professional qualifications to become the following: barrister, chiropodist, chiropractor, dentist, doctor, optician, osteopath, pharmacist, physiotherapist, solicitor or veterinary surgeon. Repayments are not due until at least six months after graduation, and students studying for a diploma, MSc or PhD are eligible.

Further information can be found at http://www.natwest.com/personal/loans/g1/professional- training-loan.ashx

1 MBA Loans Financed by Natwest Bank this loan scheme is available to full-time, part-time and distance MBA students. Full-time students can apply for up to two-thirds of their pre-course gross annual salary plus tuition fees for each year of their course. Part-time students and distance learners can apply for assistance with tuition fees and study equipment. To be eligible you must be a UK national or have ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’, have a secured place on a relevant MBA course and have between 3-5 years relevant work experience.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Natwest on 0800 015 1166 or go to www.natwest.com/personal/loans/g1/professional-training-loan.ashx or the Association of MBAs on 020 7246 2651 or www.mbaworld.com

UNIVERSITY FUNDING

The Brunel International Scholarship This is an annual award scheme designed to encourage and promote excellence in scholars coming to Brunel from around the globe. A small number of awards of £2,000 or £3,000 are available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students who have been offered a place on a full-time course at Brunel. The application process is competitive and stringent so please make sure you submit an application in good time. If you are due to start your course in October, the application deadline will usually be May of the same year. Further details can be found at http://www.brunel.ac.uk/courses/pg/funding/scholarships-bursaries and http://www.brunel.ac.uk/international/fees-and-funding/scholarships

Scholarships and PhD Studentships If you are thinking of doing an MPhil or PhD programme there may be research scholarships available across the full range of Brunel’s research activity but awards vary between Colleges and can be very competitive. Awards can consist of a cash scholarship, tuition fee payment, a salary for teaching or a combination of the three. Check your College’s website for availability.

PhD Prizes The University offers a number of prizes to PhD students either during or after you complete your programme. These awards are not designed to assist you with your course/living costs but are more of an acknowledgment of good academic performance.

University discounts Are you a Brunel graduate? Are you self-funding your postgraduate studies with us? If you hav e answered yes to both of these questions, did you know you are eligible for a 15% discount? T he discount will be applied automatically when you complete your online enrolment. If the disc ount is not applied, please contact the Student Centre for further assistance on 01895 268 268.

Prompt payment discount If you are responsible for paying your own tuition fees you will receive a 2% discount on your net tuition fee (i.e after the application of any other discount) when you pay the full amount at or before the scheduled date of registration. Again, this is applied when you complete enrolment formalities.

Brunel Job Shop

2 The job shop can find temporary, vacation and part-time work to help fund your studies. There are also some opportunities available at postgraduate level. For further details on how to regist er please visit the following link, http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/placement-and-careers/a bout-us/services-for-students/working-while-you-study

University Hardship Fund University Hardship Fund provides financial assistance (in the form or a non-repayable grant) to taught and research students who face difficulty in meeting their living and course costs (excluding tuition fees). You can receive up to £2500 in one academic year. If you have children, are disabled, a carer or homeless you would be given priority consideration. Application guidelines are very stringent and the processing time is usually 4 weeks. To apply, email the Student Centre at [email protected] and ask for an ALF application task to be issued to you on your e-vision account. Further information about the University Hardship Fund can be found here: http://brunelstudents.com/advice/money/

RESEARCH COUNCILS These government-funded agencies engaged in supporting research, one of the ways in which this is achieved is through funding of postgraduate students. Whilst it is extremely competitive if you have a good idea and a good track record then this might be an option for you. Apply early though as the application process is very stringent. Which Research Council you approach depends on your area of interest. For eligibility and application details please visit the relevant website.

 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) www.ahrc.ac.uk  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) www.bbsrc.ac.uk  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) www.esrc.ac.uk  Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) www.epsrc.ac.uk  Medical Research Council (MRC) www.mrc.ac.uk  Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) www.nerc.ac.uk  Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) www.stfc.ac.uk

You can also check www.postgraduatefunding.com for a comprehensive database of grants available to students from all over the world.

EMPLOYERS If you are already employed in your area of specialism, have you considered asking your employer to support your academic/professional development? A lot of employers sponsor their employees if they undertake a course related to their job, either for full tuition fees or part-fees. You might be committed staying with your employer for a fixed period after you graduate or there might be some other condition attached to the sponsorship but it is a viable option to consider. Speak to your line manager or HR office.

CHARITIES and PUBLIC BODIES Many charities and trusts offer awards for partial funding of postgraduate study. These awards are extremely competitive and will not cover both tuition expenses and living costs. Generally speaking, you should have exhausted all other means of funding before applying and be able to demonstrate that the rest of your course costs will be met by other means. To find out about

3 what is available contact charities directly and visit the following website for more information http://www.prospects.ac.uk/charities_foundations_and_trusts.htm

STATUTORY FUNDING If you are doing a postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course (including PGCEs) you are eligible for statutory funding in a similar way to that of undergraduate students. If you are on a FT ITT course you can apply for a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan, maintenance grant and bursaries. If you are studying for Full-time for a postgraduate qualification in Social Work, you get a bursary for living costs each year and a contribution to cover your tuition fees as well. Part-time postgraduate Social Work students can get a grant for living costs each year (half the amount available for full-time study), and a contribution to cover your tuition fees as well.

All students also get a contribution towards travel expenses – called a Practice Learning Opportunity (PLO). If you’re part-time you get an amount based on the duration of your course.

If you’re disabled or you pay for childcare, you may be able to get extra funding as part of the bursary.

Telephone: 01895 269 169 Email: [email protected] Address: Advice & Representation Centre Union of Brunel Students Hamilton Centre (next to Locos) Kingston Lane Uxbridge UB8 3PH