Financial

Course Fees
If you are under 19  on the 31st August 2010, on an LSC funded programme and have been a resident in the UK for the last three years, you do not have to pay tuition or examination/registration fees.

If you are over 19, then full fees are required. However if you are on a non- cost recovery course and are on eligible benefits, there may be remission on the tuition fees, but you will still have to pay  for examination/registration fees.

Eligible Benefits:
Jobseekers Allowance
Income support
Working Tax Credit (with a household income of less than £15, 050)
Housing/Council Tax benefit
Pension (Guaranteed credit)
Disability Working Allowance (not Disability Living Allowance
Incapacity Benefit

We accept the following payment methods, if fees are required:
Credit/debit Cards, Standing Order Installments, Cheques & Cash
Fees may be payable in 3 consecutive monthly bank standing order installments, from the start of the programme.

Government Initiatives
If you are over 19 but studying for your first full level 2 qualifications and do not have any of the following, you are entitled to full fee remission:
5 GCSEs grades A*-C
5 O level passes
5 CSEs grades 1
1 A level or more
NVQ 2, 3 or 4
Intermediate GNVQ or higher
BTEC First Diploma or higher
C & G Craft Part 2
Access course
HND/HNC
First Degree/Higher Degree

If you are 19-25  but studying for your first full level 3 qualification and do not have any of the following, you are entitled to full fee remission:
2 A levels or more
4 AS levels or more
5 CSEs grades 1
NVQ 3 or 4
BTEC National Certificate/Diploma or higher
C & G Higher Operative/Craft
GNVQ Advanced
LCCI Diploma (3rd level)
RSA Stage 3 Advanced Diploma
Access to Higher Education
HND/HNC/First Degree/Higher Degree

EMA
Educational Maintenance Allowance is a cash payment of up to £30 per week for 16 to 18 year olds who are progressing onto Further Education. To qualify you need to be 16, 17 or 18, on a full time Further Education course with a household income of less than £30,810 per year. EMA Does not effect any other benefits your family may be recieving. For more information go to: www.ema.direct.gov.uk

ALG
Adult Learning Grants are weekly grants of up to £30 a week for students aged 19 or over who are working towards their first full time level 2 or 3 qualification. To qualify you need to be earning less than £19,513 per year if single or a combined income of £30,810 if married or living with a partner. For more information go to: www.direct.gov.uk/alg

Financial Information for Foundation Degrees:
Course Fees for full-time Foundation Degree students will be £3290.00 per year and for part-time students this will be £1645.00 per year. Help with Fees is detailed below.
 

Full-time students can apply for a Student Maintenance Loan – up to £3000 – through their Local Education Authority (LEA) – to support living costs. The amount available is based on your personal circumstances (up to 100% by means-tested application) or up to 75% through a non means-tested application.
Full time students from low income households could be eligible for a new means tested non-repayable Higher Education Maintenance Grant (HEMG) of up to £2700 available from their LEA.
 

Full-time students can apply for a non-refundable bursary of £1000 per year from the ECBA which will be paid in two instalments at the end of each semester.
Students receiving the full value Higher Education Maintenance Grant (HEMG) will be eligible to apply for support through the Easton College HE Learning Fund and all other students receiving less than the full HEMG may be eligible for pro-rata assistance from the Fund (all students must complete a means-tested application). This is paid each semester.

LEA assistance: students can apply/be assessed by their LEA for the following help:
Parents Learning Allowance / Childcare Grant / Disabled Students Allowance Grant
Leavers Grant / Access to Learning Fund / Adult Dependents Grant

Contact Details for further information:
www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk – for details of LEA support

heihelp@slc.co.uk – e-mail for the Student Loans Company HE helpline
DFES Info Helpline – 0800 731 9133
SLC HE Helpline – 0845 702 3316
Norfolk LEA, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, www.norfolk.gov.uk – 01603 222300
www.foundationdegree.org
www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/founddeg/

Chris Lewis Award.
The Chris Lewis Award was established following the death of Chris Lewis in September 2007. Chris was a much-loved Norfolk Farmer who always made time to help others. The award is to help and encourage a young person in an agricultural pursuit. The applicant should be under 30 years at the time of application and have been a resident in Norfolk for the last 5 years.

Details of the Chris Lewis Award are available here

Student Tax Servicies

Student Tax Services,  www.studenttaxservices.org.uk is an impartial specialist tax service to help students prevent and reclaim overpaid tax. Register for free to access the free information and free online help.

The Sir Phillip Reckitt Educational Trust (SPRET) aims to help people in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Norfolk expand their educational horizons. The trust pays grants towards travel and subsistence and helps to fund projects abroad and in the UK. Projects can be school trips, field trips, community projects, environmental studies and adventure projects, medical, electives, gap year travel or further study.

Please visit the website for further information http://www.spret.org