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Grants and Loans

Mandatory Grants 

These are paid and administered by local authorities, conditional on a UK residence qualification and acceptance on a 'designated course' (i.e. any first degree, teacher training, BTEC, DipHE or other comparable course) and other minor conditions relating to the applications procedure. 

The present position is that parents pay up to £1,075 towards tuition costs according to a means test, based on their gross income less certain deductions. They will also, in many cases, wish to contribute significantly towards maintenance costs. Parents must contact their Local Education Authority for further details. 

Discretionary Grants 

Students attending Higher Education courses not included above, e.g. Art or Accountancy Foundation courses, may apply for a discretionary award. 

Student Loans 

Details of how the government's student loan scheme operates can be obtained from your Local Education Authority, to whom all questions about student finance should be addressed. Student loans are now an important means by which university education is funded. Almost all students will take out a loan, to be repaid over a number of years after graduation. The loan system should not be regarded as an obstacle to going to university. 

Grant Applications 

These are normally made early in the calendar year of your course's starting date. They should be made even if you do not have a firm offer of a place. Application forms for Croydon, Bromley, Sutton and Surrey authorities are sent to the school - others can be obtained direct from the appropriate authority's education department. The forms are accompanied by a booklet explaining the basic procedure and the method of calculating the value of grants. 

Sponsorship 

Sponsorship is an arrangement between you and a company. You get training and financial help while the company gets the possibility of a good employee. Sponsorship takes many forms, including funds for books, travel and accommodation or, more usually, a straight cash bursary. You will spend time with a company before, during and after attending university and be paid for any full time work during vacations. 

Sponsorships have no long term irreversible strings attached and there is usually no obligation to take or be offered a job. 

Most sponsorships are in Engineering fields, but there are sponsorships available for other Sciences and for Arts. Sometimes these are related to specific courses at particular universities, and sometimes they are not. The Arthur Andersen Scholarship Scheme, for example, is one in which Trinity pupils have had significant successes in recent years. Other generous sponsors (offering sponsorship to between 10 and 40 students) highlighted in a recent publication include GCHQ, Crown Cork & Seal, DERA and Royal Navy/Marines, Army, Royal Air Force. 

Information is available in the Careers Room and you must research in the summer of the Lower Sixth year so that you do not miss deadlines in the Autumn. Ask Mr Johnson for any help you may need in connection with Sponsorship applications

 

 

 

E-mail Steve Margetts