You May Be Eligible for the Following Financial Support

Information for Undergraduate degree and Certificate of Higher Education students who started before September 2012

The document relates to Undergraduate and Certificate of Higher Education students continuing on study startedbefore September 2012. The information is not relevant for students who started their course after September 2012.

You may be eligible for the following financial support:

1. Government fee and course grants (PTG):
PTG forms for 2016/17 are now available. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply for a non-repayable Government grant for part-time students.

2. Birkbeck Financial Support (UG)

Birkbeck Financial Support Awards are used to support part-time undergraduate students who started prior to September 2012 and who, for a variety of reasons, are not eligible for Government funding.

3. Birkbeck Access to Learning Fund (BALF)

Additional help with their course related costs.

To talk to someone directly about the fees and financial support please visit theMy Birkbeck Student Advice Centre in the main Birkbeck building or phone us on 020 7631 6316.

Government fees and course grants (PTG)

The Government offers part-time foundation degree, BA/BSc, LLB and Certificate of Higher Education studentsnon-repayable fee grantstowards the cost of your course fees andcourse grantsto help with the additional costs of studying, such as books and travel.

Applications for the part-time grant for 2016/17 are now available. See 'How to Apply' below to download the correct form.

For further information please download theStudent Finance Guide to Part-time Grants 2016/17[1].

How to Apply - 'Home' students

· If you are applying for the part-time grantfor the first time, or have transferred courses for 2016/17you will need to download and complete thePTGN Form[2]and also see theGuidance Notes[3].

· If youhave applied for the part-time grant before, you will need to download and complete thePTGC Form[4]and also see theGuidance Notes[5].

· Once completed, you will need to get your formauthorised by the Registryto confirm that you are enrolled for the academic year 2016/2017 (you can hand in your completed form to theMy Birkbeck Student Centre).

· Your form will be stamped and returned to you. You must then send the authorised form with your supporting documents by 31st May2017 to: Student Finance England:PO Box 210, Darlington, DL1 9HJ

How to Apply-EU nationals

· If you are an EU National who has been living and/or working in the UK, pleasecheck if you should apply as a 'Home' student or as an EU nationalBEFOREcompleting the EUPTG1 form below.

· You can apply for the part-time grant by downloading and completing theEUPTG1 Form[6]and also see theGuidance Notes[7].

· Your form will be stamped and returned to you. You must then send the authorised form with your supporting documents by 31st May2017 to: Student Finance England:PO Box 210, Darlington, DL1 9HJ.

Additional Forms

· If you are in receipt of means-tested benefits you should complete aBenefits Confirmation Form (CB1)[8]and send it to SFE with your part-time grant application.

· If your course, university or contact details change you should complete aChange of Circumstances Form (CO2)[9].

When your form can be authorised by Birkbeck

· You must be enrolled for 2016/17 beforethe Registry can authorise your form.

· For students who have applied for the part-time grant beforethe earliest your form can be authorised is 01/09/2016.

· For studentsapplying for the part-time grant for the first time, or students who have transferred courses for 2016/17the earliest your form can be authorised is 15/09/2016.

Eligibility criteria for Government fee and/or course grants

You must:

1. Be an undergraduate student continuing on study startedprior to September 2012

· This includes students who started a Certificate of Higher Education or Foundation Degree before September 2012 and who have completed and progressed directly onto part-time undergraduate BA/BSc/LLB degree study

2. Be a 'Home'/EU student

3. Notbeclassed asELQfor fee paying purposes. i.e. you already hold a qualification which is equal or higher than the one you are planning to study.

4. Notbe in arrears to theStudent Loans Company: you shouldcontact the Student Advice Servicefor advice if this applies to you.

5. Plan to study one of the following part-time courses:

· BA/BSc/LLB

· Foundation Degree

· Certificate of Higher Education (usually over 2 years unlessdesignated fast-track)

6. Be completing the course in no more than twice the length of time required to complete the equivalent full-time course

7. Meet the followingincome criteria:

Eitherbe in receipt of one of the following (means-tested) benefits:

· Universal Credit

· Income Support

· Housing Benefit

· Local Housing Allowance

· Income-based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

· Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Please submit aConfirmation of Benefits form[10]to Student Finance England, along with your stamped PTG form.

Oryour gross annual income for the2015-2016 financial year(as shown on your P60/s or self employment Tax Return) should be:

If you are single

'Child/ren' in the following table refers to dependants.

0 children / 1 child / 2 children / 3 children / Entitlement
Less than £16,845 / Less than £18,845 / Less than £19,845 / Less than £20,845 / Maximum fee grant allowed for your course intensity (or the tuition fees charged for your course if these are lower) + full course grant
£16,845 exactly / £18,845 exactly / £19,845 exactly / £20,845 exactly / Maximum fee grant allowed for your course intensity less £50 (or the tuition fees charged for your course if these are lower) + full course grant
£16,846 to £25,420 / £18,846 to £27,420 / £19,846 to £28,420 / £20,846 to £29,420 / Partial fee grant (at least £50) + full course grant
£25,421 to £26,029 / £27,421 to £28,029 / £28,421 to £29,029 / £29,421 to £30,029 / No fee grant + full course grant
£26,030 to £28,065 / £28,030 to £30,065 / £29,030 to £31,065 / £30,030 to £32,065 / No fee grant + partial course grant
£28,066 or more / £30,066 or more / £31,066 or more / £32,066 or more / No fee grant + no course grant

If you are married/partnered

If you live with a partner, your assessment will be based on your combined incomes, and the basic income boundaries are adjusted by £2000.

'Child/ren' in the following table refers to dependants.

0 children / 1 child / 2 children / 3 children / Entitlement
Less than £18,845 / Less than £20,845 / Less than £21,845 / Less than £22,845 / Maximum fee grant allowed for your course intensity(or the tuition fees charged for your course if these are lower) + full course grant. (See How Much Can You Get below).
£18,845 exactly / £20,845 exactly / £21,845 exactly / £22,845 exactly / Maximum fee grant allowed for your course intensityless £50 (or the tuition fees charged for your course if these are lower) + full course grant. (See How Much Can You Get below).
£18,846 to £27,420 / £20,846 to £29,420 / £21,846 to £30,420 / £22,846 to £31,420 / Partial fee grant(at least £50) + full course grant. (See How Much Can You Get below).
£27,421 to £28,029 / £29,421 to £30,029 / £30,421 to £31,029 / £31,421 to £32,029 / No fee grant+ full course grant
£28,030 to £30,065 / £30,030 to £32,065 / £31,030 to £33,065 / £32,030 to £34,065 / No fee grant+ partial course grant
£30,066 or more / £32,066 or more / £33,066 or more / £34,066 or more / No fee grant + No course grant

Information for EU, EEA or Swiss Nationals taking part-time undergraduate courses

If you are an EU national or the child of such a person, and you have lived in the UK and Islands (apart from temporary absences) for the three years prior to start of your course, you should follow the application process for'Home' students.

If you came to the UK to work and have not lived in the UK for three years before the start of your course, you may still be eligible to apply for aGovernment fees and course grantif you can prove Migrant Worker Status. If, in your view, you are an EEA or Swiss migrant worker or you are the spouse, civil partner, child or step-child of a migrant worker, you should follow the application process for'Home' students.

If you are an EU national who has not lived in the UK for three years before the start of your course- but you have lived in the EEA for three years before the start of the course, you should follow the application process forEU nationals.

How much can you get?

For students studying in 2016/17 you can get afee grant of up to £1,285and acourse grant of up to £280.

Provided you meet theeligibility criteria,how much you can get depends on the intensity of your course and on your household income as outlined under Eligibility Criteria above.

Intensity of your course

Your course intensity / Maximum fee grant you can get
50% to 59% of the equivalent full-time course / Up to £855, or the total cost of your tuition fees if it’s lower
60% to 74% of the equivalent full-time course / Up to £1,025, or the total cost of your tuition fees if it’s lower
75% or more of the equivalent full-time course / Up to £1,285, or the total cost of your tuition fees if it’s lower

Deadline for applications

It is expected that your fee grant will be received by Birkbeckby 23rd February 2017. If not, your enrolment and access to Birkbeck services may be affected.

Thedeadlinefor receipt of authorised PTG grant applications by Student Finance England or EUPTG1 grant applications by the Student Finance Services European Team for 2016/17 is:

· 31st May2017:for all courses that start in September/October 2016. This includesallCertificate of Higher Education students, regardless of when your modules start.

If you are eligible for afee grantyou canenrol onlinewithout making an upfront payment by selecting the part-time fee grant option and answering the eligibility questions on screen. This is on the understanding that you are eligible and will apply for the part-time fee grant.

Alternatively, enrol by making an initial payment for your course by selecting to set up a direct debit mandate. You can then apply for the part-time grant and if your grant is successful you will be refunded any overpayment later in the year once Birkbeck has received your fee grant.

If you are not eligible for a fee grantbased on your income for the 2015/16 tax year but have had a significant drop in income since then, please contactStudent Finance England regarding being assessed on your current income.

If you are not eligible for a fee grant pleasecontact the Student Advice Servicefor further guidance.

Birkbeck Financial Support (UG)

Birkbeck Financial Support Awards are used to support part-time undergraduate students who started prior to September 2012 and who, for a variety of reasons, are not eligible for Government funding. This can be for example, due to previous study, student loan arrears or length of study. These awards are normally available to help both Home and EU students who have not been classed asEquivalent Level Qualification for fee paying purposes.

What you can apply for

· Full or partial awards to help with the cost of tuition fees. Fee awards are usually based on the standard rates of fee (some courses charge a fee above the standard rate).

· Small awards to assist with general course costs, for example essential books or the cost of travel to and from Birkbeck.

Birkbeck has complete discretion as to how this money is awarded and all assessments will look at students' income and expenditure.

Applicants should not usually be earning more than the standard income thresholds and the percentage of any award will be scaled based on income from the previous tax year. Please see the table below for the standard income bandings:

Band / Income / % award
1 / Below £16,845 / 100
2 / £16,845 - £20,585 / 75
3 / £20,586 - £24,325 / 50
4 / £24,326 - £28,065 / 25

How to apply

For more information orto apply, pleasecontact us on 020 7631 6316. Application forms for the 2016/17 academic year will be available from September 2016.

Thedeadlinefor receipt of applications in the 2016/17 academic year is26th May 2017. Applications can only be accepted after this date with the prior agreement of the Student Advice Service, and if the student has exceptional circumstances.

Eligibility criteria for Birkbeck Financial Support

To be eligible you must:

1. be enrolled on either an Undergraduate degree (i.e. BA, BSc, LLB), Foundation Degree or Certificate of Higher Education[11]

1. be a 'Home' student (check residence requirements at the end of the document)

2. have started your studiesprior to September 2012and be ineligible for government funding

3. normally, meet theincome criteria below

Income criteria

To be eligible you must:

1. Eitherbe in receipt of one of the following (means-tested) benefits:

· Universal Credit

· Income Support

· Housing Benefit / Local Housing Allowance

· Income-Based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

· Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)

2. Oryour gross annual income for the 2015-2016 financial year (i.e. your income before deductions) should be:

Number of children / Income if you are single / Joint income if you are married/partnered
No dependent children / Less than £28,065 / Less than £30,065
One dependent child / Less than £30,065 / Less than £32,065
Two dependent children / Less than £31,065 / Less than £33,065
Three dependent children / Less than £32,065 / Less than £34,065
Four dependent children / Less than £33,065 / Less than £35,065

Birkbeck Access to Learning Fund (BALF)

Part-Time undergraduate students can apply to the Birkbeck Access to Learning Fund if they require additional help with their course related costs, e.g. essential books, photocopying, childcare (although for this, the fund is normally reserved for single parents), the cost of an essential field trip or help with travel to and from the University.