A-Z of Services

Student Support 2013/14

What We Do

The Wrexham Student Support Office is based in 16 Lord Street, Wrexham, LL11 1LG. We are responsible for assessing the eligibility and entitlement of all students normally resident in the area of the Authority attending Colleges and Universities throughout the United Kingdom.

Our primary purpose is to ensure that you receive all the assistance and advice you need so that your take up of higher education is as trouble free as possible.

The Student Support Staff attend Schools within the County Borough to talk to prospective students about what financial help is available to them. They also attend Career Conventions (UCAS) as well as other organised events within Wrexham to offer advice and guidance.

How to apply and when

From 2011/12 paper application forms for Student Support will not generally be available. As part of a modernisation package announced by the Welsh Government, students and their parents are being encouraged to apply online for support.

Full details of how to apply online can be found on
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk under the Frequently Asked Questions (faqs) on the home page.

Alternatively, you can download a paper application form (PN1 for new students/ PR1 for continuing students) and submit it to the address above.

First time applicants

First time applicants should apply to the Local Authority in whose area they are normally resident at the time they are making their application, unless they have moved to the area solely for the purposes of study.
You should apply to Wrexham County Borough Council if you or your parents’/ guardians or spouse pays Council Tax to this Authority.

If you are not at present resident in Wrexham but feel that we are the relevant Authority, please contact us to discuss your case and obtain more information.

Continuing students

You can apply online or download an application form at www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

Which courses are eligible for Student Support?

Student Support is available to most students on designated courses which include the following:

A first degree at a University or Higher Education Establishment in the United Kingdom.
A Diploma of Higher Education.
Certain Higher National Certificates.
Initial teacher training qualifications including the Post Graduate Certificate Of Education (PGCE) or other postgraduate full time courses of initial teacher training.
Other courses may qualify if they have been specifically designated as being comparable to a first degree course by the WG.

If you have any queries about which courses are eligible for Student Support please contact us by any of the means previously listed. Please ensure you have full details of the course including the UCAS course code. This can be found at www.ucas.com (external link)

Timetable for Student Support Applicants 2013/14

You must meet the following deadlines if you want to receive the first instalment of your student support at the start of your course. If you do not fill in any of the forms completely or clearly, or fail to provide all the necessary evidence, this will delay any payment.

19 April 2013

First year applicants must return a fully and accurately completed PN1 to this office together with all supporting documents required. Or submit an online application and send all supporting documents to the address above.

31 May 2013

Continuing students must return their PR1 with all the relevant sections completed by this date. Or submit an online application.

Your application will not normally be accepted if you apply later than 9 months after the start of the academic year. Please ensure you have the form weighed in a Post Office and affix sufficient postage for its return.

Student Support and Fraud Prevention Initiatives/ Evidence of Identification

The Welsh Government introduced a number of measures to reduce the risk of fraud associated with stolen or false identity documents. You can use your passport as evidence; you can bring it into this office to photocopy should you wish to.

However, birth certificates must now be accompanied by a Birth/ Adoption Certificate Form completed by a 3rd party confirming their identity. This 3rd party must be a ‘person of standing’ such as professional, civil servant, form teacher or person of good standing with in the community. Please send the completed form to us along with your birth certificate.

At the start of your course

If you have met all the above deadlines and the details you have supplied regarding location and type of course have not subsequently changed, the money you are entitled to should be transferred to your account shortly after you register at your college / university. You must have a live bank or building society account into which instalments can be electronically transferred.

New for 2013/14

You will need to contact your University to discuss tuition fees.

Assembly Learning Grant

The ALG for 2013/14 will be £5,161. If your income is below £18,370 you will be eligible for the maximum amount.

Household Income	Full Time Course
£0 to £18,370	£5,161
£18,371 to £50,020	Partial Grant
Over £50,020	£0

Debt Relief

The Welsh Ministers have introduced a part cancellation of maintenance loans taken out over the duration of your course. The maximum amount that may be cancelled is £1,500.

Here you will find the answers to most of your questions. If you can't find the answer here please feel free to get in touch.

Am I eligible for any support?

The majority of students will be eligible for some type of financial support although there are some exceptions.

This could be because of residency, previous study, designated course. The following information is for students who are eligible for support.

To discuss whether you are eligible and/or for advice on what support you may be entitled to please contact us on 01978 297406.

When can I apply for help?

You can now apply online or download an application from www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
You should return your form no later than 19 April 2013 (new students) or 31 May 2013 (students renewing their applications). If you apply late, you may not get your money in time for the start of term.

NB: Please do not wait until you have received your A-level results before applying.

Generally speaking, students who do this are unlikely to receive funding by the start of their course. Even if you are not sure where you will be studying, you can still apply on time and change the college or course details later on.

I intend to take a gap year before university. When should I apply for student support?

Unlike in previous years, a student taking a gap year in 2013/14 and commencing a course of higher education in 2014/15 will not be considered as a continuing student (treated the same as a student who started in 2013/14).

Who can I speak to for advice or help when applying?

For general queries about student finance and the application process, you can contact us on 01978 297406.
You can also visit us at Contact Wrexham to discuss general enquires Monday to Friday, between 8.30am and 5.30pm. You do not need to make an appointment; however, there are sometimes queues during the summer months.

What is my customer reference number?

When you make your initial application you will be issued with a unique 11 character customer reference number which will be quoted on all correspondence you receive.

Please make a note of this number as it will enable those assisting you to locate your records quickly.

If you have previously received an Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) then you will already have a record on Student Finance Wales. You will have been sent correspondence regarding your EMA/Previous Loan Application which will have your Customer Reference Number (CRN) on it. You must use this CRN to create your record for 2013/14. Do not create a new record if this is the case as duplicate records often cause problems with payments.

When will I know what financial help I am entitled to?

You should receive a notification letter confirming your entitlement within approximately 6 weeks of us receiving a fully completed application.

If your application form is incomplete or we need further information this may delay your assessment being completed.

My parents are divorced; do I have to provide income details for both parents?

It is only the income of the parent with whom you usually live with that is required.

However, if the parent you usually live with has remarried or is cohabiting, we will also need their financial details.

How much maintenance loan can I get?

This depends on where you are living and the level of your income and that of your family/partner/spouse.

The maximum amount of loan that you can get for the 2013/14 academic year is:

£5,150 for students living away from home
£7,215 for students in London and living away from home
£3,987 for students living at home
75% of this amount is available to all eligible students regardless of household income

If you are awarded an Assembly Learning Grant /Special Support Grant, this will also affect the level of maintenance loan you are awarded.

Students in their final year of study will receive less because there is no longer any financial provision to cover the summer vacation.

How do I repay my maintenance loan?

Details of how the loan repayment process works can be found in the booklet 'Student Loans: A Guide to Terms and Conditions'. This booklet can be found on the Student Finance Wales website: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk on the page entitled 'Forms and Guides'.

For students who take out a maintenance loan from Student Finance Wales in 2013/14 there will be up to £1,500 debt relief when you have made your first compulsory loan repayment when earning over £21,000 subject to certain conditions.

How much will I have to pay towards my fees?

That depends if you are a continuing or first year student.

Since 2012/13 students who choose to study in Wales, England or Northern Ireland may be charged up to £9,000 a year.

Students who are continuing their studies and started university between 2006/07 and 2011/12 will be charged a tuition fee of up to £3,575.

How do I pay my fees?

A Non Means tested tuition fee loan of up to £3,575 will be available and a non means-tested new tuition fee grant to cover the difference between the maximum tuition fee loan available and the tuition fee actually charged by the UK university (a maximum grant of £5,425 if a tuition fee of £9,000 is charged)

If you have chosen to take out the tuition fee loan then it will be paid directly to your university by the Student Loans Company.

You will not have to repay this loan until you have left university and are earning over £21,000. Should you wish to pay your tuition fees yourself (i.e. without a loan), you will need to contact the university's finance office direct.

If you do not wish to take out a tuition fee loan, you will be expected to self-fund the first £3,575 of your tuition fees.

Will I receive the Assembly Learning Grant (ALG)?

The ALG was introduced for students starting their course from September 2006 onwards, how much you receive depends on whether you are continuing your studies or starting university for the first time in 2013/14.

Students who commenced their course between 2006/07 and 2009/10 academic years can apply for an Assembly Learning Grant of up to £3,000. How much you receive will depend on your household income. When household income is £18,370 or less students can expect to receive the maximum grant of £3,000. Partial grants are available when household income is between £18,371 and £39,329.

Students who commenced their studies in 2010/11 can apply for an ALG of up to £5,161 if their household income is below £18,370 and a partial grant between £18,371 and £50,020.

Students who commenced their studies in 2011/12 can apply for an ALG of up to £5,780 if their household income is below £18,370 and a partial grant between £18,371 and £50,020.

Students who commenced their studies in 2012/13 can apply for an ALG of up to £5,161 if their household income is below £18,370 and a partial grant between £18,371and £50,020.

Students who hope to commence their studies in 2013/14 will be able to apply for an ALG of up to £5,161 if their household income is below £18,370 and a partial grant between £18,371 and £50,020.

How do I apply for the ALG?

When you complete a PN1/ PR1 application form your entitlement to the ALG will be calculated based on the financial information given on this form.

How will the ALG be paid?

It will be paid in three instalments, at the start of each term, along with any Maintenance Loan applied for and will not need to be repaid unless you leave your course early.

Special Support Grant

This grant can be paid to students instead of the Assembly Learning Grant who may be eligible to receive means-tested benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit.

NB: Unlike the Assembly Learning Grant the Special Support Grant will not effect your entitlement to any DWP benefits or the amount of maintenance loan you may be entitled to receive.

The amount of support, the income assessment arrangements and the payment arrangements are all the same as for the ALG grant. If you are receiving the Special Support Grant you will not be eligible to receive the ALG grant.

How will I receive my money?

The Student Loans Company (SLC) will usually pay your loan and other grants in three equal instalments, one at the start of each term.

Instalments will normally be paid direct into your bank or building society account. You will receive a payment schedule from the SLC, which tells you how you will get your money. If you apply for the tuition fee loan to help with tuition fees this amount will be paid directly to your University by the SLC.

Bursaries

You will need to consult your chosen university for details.

Is any further help available?

Additional help may be available if you are disabled, have dependants or if you have extra travel costs because you are on clinical placement abroad or are disabled.

I want to study part time. What help is available for me?

Help is only available to those studying at least 50% of a full time course and completing the course in no more than twice the amount of time you would complete the full time course in.

The funding arrangements will be available in the summer of 2013 but should be very similar to that in 2012/13. For example in 2012/13 you could get help with tuition fees with an annual fee grant of up to a maximum of £1,025, depending on intensity of study as well as a grant for course costs of up to £1,155.
Additional help may be available if you are disabled or have dependants. If you believe any of these apply to you then please contact our Student Finance Section for further information.

What if I change course or university/college?

You should tell us of any changes as soon as possible.

A change of course or university/college might affect whether you are able to get financial help and how much you can get. A change of circumstance form is available from the Student Finance Wales website.

Teacher Training Courses

Full time PGCE students who do not already hold the Qualified Teacher Students can apply for the ALG maintenance grant, maintenance loan and tuition fee loan the same as new undergraduate students.
For more information on teacher training grant incentives please call the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 and the Welsh Language Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 992.

NHS Students

Students training in the health profession can apply for a top up maintenance loan for living costs from the local authority. If it has been established that they are entitled to a means tested bursary from the NHS.
For information on NHS bursaries if you are studying in Wales contact the NHS Wales Student Awards Unit on 029 2019 6167 or visit the website: www.nliah.wales.nhs.uk

Alternatively if you are studying in England you can contact the NHS Student Grants Unit, visit the website on: www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk

Social Work Courses

In addition to being eligible to apply for full Student Finance support the Care Council for Wales also manages the Social work Bursary Scheme for students studying approved undergraduate degree courses in social work.

For full details contact the Student Funding Team in Care Council on 0845 070 0249 or visit the website www.ccwales.org.uk

Extra help for students on Designated Dance and Drama higher education courses at private institutions

Students on designated higher education dance and drama courses at private institutions may be entitled to financial support.

The financial support that may be available to you depends on the type of place you are offered through an independent audition or interview process. For details of the audition process, contact your private institution.

If you are offered a 'state-funded' place you may be entitled to financial help towards your tuition fee, a student maintenance loan and other grants, which depend on your personal circumstances. You should also apply to Student Finance if you have been offered a place at a private institution affiliated to the Conservatoire of Dance and Drama.

If you are offered a place at a private institution on a designated course you may be entitled to help with your tuition fee, student maintenance loan and other grants (depending on your circumstances). If you are offered a place as a private student you may have to pay the full cost of your private tuition fee, although it may be possible to receive some help towards your tuition fee. Your private institution will be able to tell you how much you need to pay and how.