Frequently Asked Questions
Student Finance Related Questions
I’m repeating part time, am I entitled to Jobseekers Allowance?
Almost definitely not! Only a very small number of students are entitled to apply for JSA and students repeating part time aren’t among that number. Put simply, the Social Security Agency has a different definition of ‘student’ from most other organisations, and it is deliberately drawn up to exclude as many students as possible from claiming JSA.
However you should still check out any other entitlements you may have by speaking to Connie Craig on connie.craig@qub.ac.uk or 02890971049
I want to change course, can I still get a student loan?
Every student who is considering changing course needs to take financial advice alongside academic advice.
For most students some form of funding may well still be available. However it isn’t an automatic entitlement and little things can make a big difference to what you’re entitled to.
Don’t assume that because your friend got a loan in a ‘similar’ situation that the same will apply to you. The rules can be complex.
Make an appointment with Connie Craig in the Students’ Union Advice Centre, connie.craig@qub.ac.uk or 02890971049.
I don’t have to pay tax because I’m a student, do I?
There is a very common misconception that students do not pay tax. This stems from the fact that most students don’t earn over their personal tax allowance in any tax year. However for those students who do earn over their personal tax allowance then they pay tax like everyone else.
The personal tax allowance for 2010/11 is £6,475 and it is going up to £7,475 in April 2011.
There is an excellent website covering students and tax, have a look at www.hmrc.gov.uk/students.
Also, the Students’ Union Advice Centre organises an annual visit from HM Revenue and Customs, in 10/11 it will be on Wednesday 30th March 2011.
I’d like to apply to the Support Fund, what do I do?
The Support Fund is a discretionary fund that may be able to assist you if you can demonstrate genuine financial difficulty. You can collect an application form from the Students’ Union Advice Centre or download one from www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/finance/StudentSupport.
Once you’ve read carefully through the form, if you have any questions, then you should contact Connie Craig.
If you’re happy you know what you’re doing, then complete the form, supply all the requested documentation and submit the form to Income and Student Finance in the Student Guidance Centre.
The Committee meets once a month during the academic year and students should hear within a maximum of six weeks after submitting a fully completed application form.
Will anyone pay for me to do a Masters?
That depends! It is very important that all prospective postgraduate students realise that there is very little automatic entitlement to funding at postgraduate level.
I’m not quite sure why, but it seems to come as a nasty surprise to a number of students every year that they can’t get a loan from the Student Loans Company to do a one year Masters course. The Student Loans Company has never funded one year Masters courses and there is no plan for that to change.
You need to start investigating funding for your course as soon as possible.
You need to enquire from the course tutor/co-ordinator whether there is any statutory funding for this course. By this I mean whether there are any funded places. If there are then you should apply, making sure to observe any deadlines.
If the only suggestion regarding funding is to contact me, that is a very clear indication that there is no funding available.
If you are being told that there is no statutory funding then you are thrown back on your own resources. Can you afford to undertake this course? Do you have any savings? Can you rely on support from your family? Can you work during the course? Do you have access to commercial credit, for example, a bank or credit union loan? You may wish to investigate Professional and Career Development Loans, www.direct.gov.uk/pcdl.
Can you raise the funds in another way, for example through sponsorship for your area of study? You may need to think creatively about where funding may come from.
There are a couple of pieces of advice I will offer from experience over a number of years.
I would caution against thinking you can fund a full time postgraduate course from part time work alone. I would also strongly advise against starting a postgraduate course in the belief that “something will turn up” - it is extremely unlikely to.
