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University of the West of Scotland


Lifelong Learning Academy

Funding your Part- time study  

Part-time students of the University of the West of Scotland may be eligible to have their tuition fees paid in full or take advantage of a current Government initiative to help with the cost of study.

You may also be able to access funds, which will help with the cost of books, travel and childcare.  Any money paid through this scheme is a non-repayable bursary.

Find out more detail below or download the Lifelong Learning Academy leaflet on Funding Your Part-time Studies Session 2009-10.

 

Help with Tuition Fees

Help with Study Costs

Government Fee Waiver Scheme

If you are a part-time undergraduate UK student studying for a degree and in receipt of a Government means-tested benefit (see list of qualifying benefits below) or have an income of less than £74.00 per week, you may qualify to have your fees paid under the Government Fee Waiver Scheme.

Government Fee Waiver is only available on standard price (or lower priced) undergraduate modules.

Qualifying Benefits

Personal Benefits

  • Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) (6 week eligibility)
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Incapacity/ Invalidity Benefit
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Carer's Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Attendance Allowance

Family Benefits

  • Working Tax Credit
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Pension Credit
  • Income-based Job Seekers Allowance

Students on Job Seekers Allowance must have been claiming for a minimum of 6 weeks to qualify for the waiver. Students participating on any other Government Training Scheme (i.e. Training for Work or Skillseekers) are not eligible.

Students can study no more than 100 credit points in any one academic year. The Fee Waiver scheme covers a maximum of £210 per 20 credit module.

To qualify for your part-time fee waiver, you should either fill in the University Fee Waiver form or bring your proof of status to an enrolment session or to the Finance office directly.

University Fee Waiver Scheme

The University offers a 50% reduction to part-time University students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels for the following:

  • State Pensioners
  • All JSA recipients who do not meet the 6 week time criteria
  • Postgraduate level study (for students on Fee Waiver benefits)

The University Fee Waiver does not apply to UWS students doing any reduced price module or course, for example first or next steps module.

Individual Learning Accounts (ILA)

This funding must be applied for before starting your module. We suggest at least 1 month in advance.

There are two different accounts that UWS accept depending on your circumstances and how much study you intend to do.

£200 ILA

If you are over 16 and earn £22,000 a year or less and are studying part-time, an ILA account could give you up to £200 a year towards learning something new.

If you decide not to take up your place please let us know immediately and we can refund the money back to your ILA account. We cannot refund your account if you have attended the classes, or with distance learning courses if the course has started.

How to Use your ILA £200


You must book onto your chosen module before the start date. As soon as you have your account details please let us know this to allow us to book your course. We will then book the amount of money you wish to use in part payment of your course. The University will send you a copy of the booking form and ILA Scotland will then send you a Learner Token and statement detailing the course title.
On receipt of your Learner Token from ILA, you must submit this to our Finance office. We need this token to claim the money you have booked, if you lose the token call the ILA Scotland helpline. If we have not received your token within 60 days (or the expiry date of the token) of the start date of your course, we cannot use your funding as part payment of your fees and you would be responsible for paying yourself. If you don’t receive anything within 2 weeks of our booking please contact us immediately.

£500 ILA


If you are over 16 and earn £22,000 a year or less and are studying for at least 40 credits (normally 2 modules) of the time needed to complete a full-time higher education qualification, an ILA account could give you up to £500 each year towards your qualification. Your ILA can now be used towards postgraduate study for named awards.


How to Use your ILA £500


Bring the application to the Lifelong Learning Academy for a Guidance Adviser to authorise. Post it back to ILA (we suggest recorded delivery). Bring the award letter to us, without this we are unable to collect the funding and you will be liable to pay your own fees. Should for any reason your attendance fall beneath the required 40 points you shall be liable for the fees.
For further information call the Lifelong Learning Academy on 0141 848 3193 or 01698 894455 and ask to speak to an Education Guidance Advisor.


PROFESSIONAL & Career Development Loans

Professional & Career Development Loans

If you are 18 or over and plan to train in the UK, you may be able to apply for a Professional & Career Development Loan (CDL) of between £300 and £10,000 to cover up to 80% of course fees plus other costs (100% if you are unemployed). Courses can last up to 2 years, 3 years if a practical placement forms part of the training. The Government manages PCDLs through a partnership with a number of high-street banks. This loan is repayable 1 month after training is complete. They can support courses in a wide range of vocational areas. For further information phone 0800 585505 (calls are free) or visit www.direct.gov.uk/pcdl for current advice.

Graduate Voucher Scheme

The University offers all recent graduates a 50% discount on any Postgraduate or Undergraduate module, undertaken within 1 year of graduation.  Graduates will be posted a voucher, which they should then return with their enrolment documents.

 

Help with Study Costs

Discretionary Funds

The Funding & Advice Team (F & A) in Student Services within the University administers the Part-time SAAS Discretionary and Childcare Funds. This is a bursary available to eligible students who are struggling to meet the costs associated with their study. The funds can be used to pay for books, travel childcare and course assosiated costs. These funds are not available to meet the cost of tuition fees. Any award from this scheme is a non-repayable bursary.

There is no age limit for higher education students to receive payments from these funds. To check your eligibility please contact the F & A Team for individual advice.

Application forms are available widely throughout each Campus or from our web site. If you need help completing the application, the Funding and Advice Team at your Campus should be able to assist you with this, see contact details below.

Disabled Students Allowance

The Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) offers assistance to disabled students via their Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). You can apply for DSA if you have a disability or learning difficulty and as a result of which have extra costs that are directly related to your course of study.

To apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance, you should, in the first instance, make an appointment with our Enabling Support Team who will assess your needs and assist you in making the application for funding to SAAS.

The Enabling Support Team can also make arrangements for appropriate testing if you have dyslexia, or think that you may have dyslexia.

Other Sources of Funding
Educational Trusts

SAAS maintain the Register of Educational Endowments containing information on Scottish trusts that they know about. You can only get help from a trust if you meet the eligibility conditions of that trust. The conditions vary from trust to trust, for instance, conditions can relate to:

  • Where you live or were born;
  • What schools you went to;
  • Your age;
  • The course you are taking;
  • The college or University you go to.

Only the trustees can decide whether to accept or refuse your application. Most trusts say that the people applying must be Scottish, or be planning to study at an institution in Scotland.  SAAS will do a search for you, go to the website and search for form REE1, print this off and send it to them.

The University administer selected Trust funds throughout the year, check the notice boards or register with the Funding and Advice Service for email updates.  This service also has a database on each campus called “FunderFinder” which allows you to do your own search, this could take you about half an hour but may provide you with Trust funds for you to apply to, unique to your own circumstances. This service also run workshops on how to make a good application to a Trust Fund during the session.

Useful Contact Details

Lifelong Learning Academy

All Campuses
Phone: 0141 848 3193
Email: lifelonglearning@uws.ac.uk

Student Services

Enabling Support Team and Funding and Advice Service

Ayr Campus
Email: enablingsupport.ayr@uws.ac.uk
Phone:  01292  886267
Email : funding.adviceayr@uws.ac.uk

Dumfries Campus
Phone: 01387 734279
Email: studentservices-dumfries@uws.ac.uk

Hamilton Campus
Phone: 01698 894448
Email :funding.advicehamilton@uws.ac.uk

Paisley Campus
Phone:  0141 848 3803
Email: funding.advicepaisley@uws.ac.uk

Student Services Website

Finance Office (payment terms)
Email: fees@uws.ac.uk
Finance Website

ILA Scotland
www.ilascotland.org.uk

SAAS website
 www.saas.gov.uk

Egas online (trust funds)
www.egas.online.org.uk