Money matters: part-time conversion degree students 2023/24

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Money matters Part-time conversion degree students 2023/24 entry

This guide outlines the tuition fees and financial support arrangements for UK students joining a part-time conversion programme to honours degree at Edge Hill University between August 2023 and July 2024.

We can help explain what student funding you may be entitled to receive and how to apply for it.

Introduction

Please note, the information on these pages may be subject to change.

Exceptions may apply if the course you are joining at Edge Hill University is of an equivalent or lower level to a qualification you already hold, or if you have any previous part-time higher education study, even if you didn’t achieve a qualification.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate and associated financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please see our dedicated guide to EU student finance for further information.

Tuition fees

If you are a UK student joining a part-time conversion degree at Edge Hill University between August 2023 and July 2024, the tuition fee will be £77 per credit for academic year 2023/24. This is equivalent to £1,540 per 20-credit module. You will need to study 120 credits in total in order to complete a conversion degree.

The University may administer a small inflationary rise in tuition fees, in line with Government policy, in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.

Tuition fees for UK students joining the following professional development courses in academic year 2023/24 are still to be announced:

BSc (Hons) Behavioural Analysis & Intervention
BSc (Hons) Clinical & Professional Paramedic Practice
BSc (Hons) Clinical & Professional Perioperative Practice
BSc (Hons) Clinical & Professional Practice

Eligible students will not have to pay up-front for their tuition and can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of the course fees, providing at least 25% of the equivalent full-time conversion degree is being studied per year.

Loans

Tuition Fee Loans

You will be able to borrow the full cost of your tuition fee from the Government in the form of a Tuition Fee Loan, subject to eligibility, providing you are studying at least 25% of the equivalent full-time conversion degree per year.

Maintenance Loans

Maintenance Loans are available to eligible part-time students joining a conversion degree.

Available to help with living costs such as food, accommodation and travel.
The amount of Maintenance Loan you can apply for is determined by your household income, where you are going to live while you are studying, the intensity of study and additional criteria.
You must be aged 59 and under on the first day of the first academic year of your course in order to be eligible.
Usually paid in three instalments, directly to your bank or building society account. The first payment date is expected to be two weeks after the start of the autumn semester (subject to final confirmation from the Government).

Maintenance Loans are subject to different financial arrangements and eligibility criteria depending on whether you are domiciled in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

If you are domiciled in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you should refer to the website of the relevant funding body.

The maximum Maintenance Loan amounts for eligible students domiciled in England are as follows:

A Maintenance Loan of up to £9,978 a year may be available if you live away from home.

A Maintenance Loan of up to £8,400 a year may be available if you live with your parents.

Loan repayments

You will not have to start repaying the total of your student loans until the April after you have completed your course and are earning above a certain threshold amount. The Government has announced that repayment thresholds for students joining conversion degrees in academic year 2023/24 will be £25,000 a year.

The amount you repay will be linked to your income. Each year you will be expected to repay 9% of your income that is above the repayment threshold. So, for example, if your salary is £30,000 a year, with a repayment threshold of £25,000 a year, the 9% repayment would only apply to £5,000, meaning you would repay around £37.50 a month. If your income falls below the repayment threshold, for any reason, you will not have to make repayments until your income rises above this threshold again.

The Government will typically apply interest on your student loans at inflation (Retail Price Index – RPI) plus 3%, while you are studying, and up until the April you are due to start repaying. The interest rate will vary from the April you are due to start repaying, subject to your income level. A Government cap of 7.3% is currently in place until August 2023 on the maximum interest rate that can be applied to most student loans. Further information about student loan repayments is available on GOV.UK.

The Student Loans Company will work with HM Revenue and Customs to collect repayments. They will be taken by your employer and shown on your pay statement. If you are self-employed, the repayments will be collected through the tax self-assessment system. No early repayment charges will be made. Any monies still owed after 40 years will be written off.

If you leave your course early, you will still have to repay your student loans. Leaving a course during term time can result in the overpayment of a Maintenance Loan. In these circumstances, you should contact Student Finance England, or the equivalent funding body, about the option of completing a financial hardship application to move any overpayments to your graduate repayment plan.

Alternative funding

Religious faith may mean taking out student loans and paying the required inflation-based interest is an issue for some students and could be prohibited for religious reasons.

The Government is working towards an alternative Sharia-compliant student finance package for these circumstances. The suggested alternative financial product would result in identical graduate repayments to the current student loan system but would not be interest based.

Further details are awaited from the Government. In the meantime, you may find it useful to contact a local Imam to discuss Sharia-compliant finance if you have any concerns. Alternative sources of funding, while limited, are outlined on our money advice webpages.

Grants

Disabled Students’ Allowance

You will not be entitled to a grant to contribute towards your living costs. However, if you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, you may be eligible for support tailored to your individual needs through the Government’s Disabled Students’ Allowance.

Disabled Students’ Allowances are worth up to £26,291 for eligible students in academic year 2023/24. These allowances are designed to help with the cost of specialist equipment (such as computer software), extra travel costs due to a disability, or other support necessary to enable you to study.

The amount you will be eligible to receive will vary according to the intensity of study. You should be aware that £26,291 is the maximum amount and most students get less.

How to apply

Loans

We strongly recommend applying for financial support as early as possible to ensure your application is received and processed in good time.

The funding application process for English-domiciled students is as follows:

Applications are made online to Student Finance England at www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance. Applications are expected to open in early 2023.
After you have applied for student funding, you will be able to manage your account online.
Once your application has been assessed, you will receive a Student Finance Entitlement Letter outlining the support you have applied for and can expect to receive. The Student Finance Entitlement Letter can also be viewed online. If the financial support outlined in your Student Finance Entitlement Letter is not what you anticipated, you are welcome to contact us for advice.

The funding application process is different if you are a student domiciled in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. You should consult the website of the relevant funding body for further information on the application process you will need to follow:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

For information on how to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance, you should consult the website of the relevant funding body:

If you feel you may have a support requirement, we encourage you to arrange a confidential chat with a member of Inclusive Services.

Previous study

If you have previously undertaken a course of higher education, such as a foundation degree, and you plan to ‘top-up’ by studying a conversion programme to honours degree, you should be eligible to apply for the standard financial support package for conversion degree students.

However, if you have had to repeat a year or more of a previous part-time higher education course, or if the conversion degree you are joining at Edge Hill University is of an equivalent or lower level to a qualification you already hold, your eligibility to receive funding for the progression route may be restricted.

If you have any previous part-time higher education study, or if the conversion degree you are joining is of an equivalent or lower level to a qualification you already hold (whether studied on a full-time or part-time basis), you should contact us for clarification on your eligibility for funding.

Please visit our previous study page to find out more about previous study and equivalent and lower qualifications.

Previous study and equivalent and lower qualifications

Contact us

If you have any queries about tuition fees, or if you have any queries about previous study and the potential impact it may have on your eligibility for financial support, you can email Academic Registry.

Academic Registry
Email: [email protected]

If you have any questions about your eligibility for financial support, or if you wish to receive advice and guidance on applying for funding (including support in completing funding applications), you can get in touch with the Money Advice Team.

Money Advice Team
Email: [email protected]

Alternatively, you can contact the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre.

Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre
Email: [email protected]

Please note, all advice and guidance provided by the University is subject to any information which you choose to impart to us, about your individual circumstances, being correct.

The advice and guidance you receive will be based upon current eligibility criteria from external organisations, such as the Student Loans Company. However, if any changes are made to this eligibility criteria by an external organisation, the University cannot be held responsible.

All staff will treat any information you share with them in the strictest confidence.

Further information

Our Student Services webpages includes money advice, including useful tips on how to increase your income and reduce your expenses while at university, together with advice about keeping track of your finances and managing your money effectively.