Financial Services > Student Loans > Student Finance Northern Ireland > Bursaries
Bursaries are a form of extra financial help for students which are paid by their university or college.
Universities and colleges who opt to charge fees for some or all of their courses may provide extra financial help to lower income students who are entitled to the full Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant.
However, universities and colleges who charge tuition fees of £3,145 are required to provide extra financial help for students who are entitled to the full Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant.
Students who receive partial Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant may also get bursaries from higher education institutions. The amount received will vary from institution to institution.
A number of factors come into play when estimating the cost of a student’s Higher Education.
Universities and Colleges of Higher Education in the UK charge full time undergraduates fees of up to £3,145 a year.
Any further increases will be limited to the rate of inflation until at least 2010. The amount charged varies between courses, as well as between universities.
Once a student earns in excess of £15,000 per annum, repayment of their student loan will commence on the 6th April following the date that they complete or leave their course.
For those that withdraw from their course prior to their original intended graduation date, repayment of their student loan will be required in the April following the last date of attendance.
The Student Loans Company, of whom Student Finance NI is a service delivery partner, will then advise HM Revenue and Customs of any borrowers that entered repayment. They will in turn instruct respective employers to deduct repayments from a person’s gross income at the rate of 9% of any income earned in excess of £15,000 a year, £1,250 per month or £288 per week.
For those that are self-employed or go to work abroad, repayments will be made directly to the Student Loans Company or HMRC.
Students can get an extra amount of income assessed loan to cover each extra week they are required to be on their course above 30 term-time weeks (plus the short holidays). Students that have to be on the course for 45 weeks or more in any 12 month period will receive an extra amount of loan equal to a 52 week-course.
Students attending a course in medicine or dentistry can obtain a grant towards reasonable costs for travel to and from:
A student’s ELB will decide whether the costs they have to pay are reasonable. The amount received is income assessed and is paid directly to the student.
There are extra sources of support available in certain circumstances for full-time students:
Support Funds (Northern Ireland Institutions)
These are available through colleges and universities and provide help for students on a lower income who needs extra financial support for their course in order to remain in higher education. The funds can meet particular course and living costs which are not already being met from other grants and can help if students are experiencing financial hardship.
Payments are usually given as grants and do not have to be repaid, although sometimes they can be given as short-term loans. Students will be informed by their university or college whether they are required to pay in a lump sum or in instalments.
Students will also be assessed by their university or college based on their individual needs. However, the following groups of students are a priority for help for Support Funds:
Access to Learning Fund
The Access to Learning Fund in UK Institutions outside Northern Ireland is similar to Support Funds. Students should apply to the student services department in the relevant institution for details on how to apply for assistance from this fund.
Others sources
Various other sources of financial help for specific student groups or types of courses are available, including aid for part-time students, disabled students and students with children or other dependants.