Finance

About Access to Learning Funds - ASK ALF

If you need some extra financial help - why not AskALF?

Each year the university receives in excess of half a million pounds from the government, called the Access to Learning Fund, to help UK students who need extra financial support for course related costs, such as books, equipment, travel and childcare, and living costs such as rent, utility bills etc.   Awards are normally not repayable and are between £100 and £3,500 each.

You may be eligible to apply to ALF if you are:

• A full or part-time undergraduate studying at least 50% of a full-time course in the academic year, usually 60 credits, and have taken out your full student loan entitlement.

• A full or part-time postgraduate studying at least 50% of a full-time course in the academic year, usually 90 credits, and have made reasonable provision to fund both your tuition fees and living costs.

• Care Leavers - Continuing students who are on the old funding system, ie do not receive the University bursary, and who entered university from care are eligible to receive a £1000 bursary from the Access to Learning Fund.  Please contact Student Finance on 01782 294510 for information.

What to do next:

To obtain the appropriate application form and guidance notes either collect copies from the Information Centres or the Students’ Union Advice Centres or download the files (see next section). 

Most students will be expected to attend an ALF workshop run by the Student Advice Centre and have their form signed by the adviser present.   You will need your tutor’s signature for confirmation that you are in regular attendance, as well as your own signature.

For students at SURF or Staffordshire University partnership and franchise colleges please ask at your college Student Support Service for information and application forms.

The Students' Union Advice Centre have useful information pages on the Access to Learning Fund to access these visit their web page: Students' Union Advice Centre ALF Pages

About Forms and Guidance

General ALF Guidance

• General ALF guidance (PDF, file size: 197.19KB)

ALF information leaflets - 2011/12

ALF Forms 2011-12

Application Pack comprising:

• Application form - students with dependants (PDF, file size: 167.53KB)
• Application form - students without dependants (PDF, file size: 173.53KB)
• How to complete the application form (students with dependants) (PDF, file size: 156.75KB)
• How to complete the application form (students without dependants) (PDF, file size: 157.24KB)
• Evidence Checklist - students with dependants  (PDF, file size: 141.72KB)
• Evidence Checklist - students without dependants (PDF, file size: 135.83KB)
• Priority and non-priority debts (PDF, file size: 212.19KB)
• Rent payments (PDF, file size: 112.25KB) – parental home / address of employer / informal childcare Rent or Informal Childcare
• Informal Childcare (PDF, file size: 190.2KB)  
• ALF Questionnaire (PDF, file size: 133.69KB)

ALF Bursaries

Undergraduate Bursaries

• Arts, Media and Design Application - Download:
• Postgraduate Bursaries Application (PDF, file size: 46.1KB)
• Postgraduate Bursaries Guidance Notes (PDF, file size: 76.9KB)

Care Leavers

If you are a student who has entered Higher Education from Local Authority Care, please contact your Local Education authority's Leaving Care Team as you may be entitled to additional financial support.

Care Leavers are a priority group for support from the Access to Learning Fund to help with accommodation costs over the vacation periods.  Some Local Authorities already provide support but unfortunately others do not; the Access to Learning Fund, therefore will either provide a bursary of up to £1,000 or will top up to £1,000 each academic year any statutory support that falls below that figure.

Students must meet the usual residency criteria for ALF applications to be eligible for the bursary.  Awards will usually be paid in three instalments, one quarter before the Christmas holiday, one quarter before the Easter holiday and the remainder before the start of the long summer vacation.  Dates and amounts may vary depending on individual circumstances.

To apply for the bursary or to apply for a top up award, please provide evidence that you are in fact a Care Leaver and, if appropriate, evidence of your statutory funding.

You can contact Student Finance by calling 01782 294510 or by calling into the Information Centre on the first floor of the Flaxman Building on the College Road campus.

About Student Loans

If you have applied for a student loan you will receive a Financial Assessment form detailing your payments. Full time on campus students will activate their loan by completing stage 2 enrolment. Partner College students should take their Financial Assessment form to their College, who will email the University to activate your student loan. This can be done at either the Information Centre at Stoke or Stafford. 

The University will forward the Student Support Numbers each evening to the Student Loans Company at 4:00pm.  This will initiate a BACS transfer payment directly into your nominated bank/building society account within 3/4 working days.

The Student Loan Company provide the University with your Student Support Number which should be quoted on any correspondance for example SFDI12345678. However, some students receiving late assessments might have a delay in receiving this number. If you are in this situation, bring your paperwork into the Information Centre at Stoke or Stafford and we will manually up-date your Student Support Number. To check whether we have your Student Support Number, look at 'MyDetails' via MyPortal.

If you have any queries please contact:

Stoke 01782 292716 or
Stafford: 01785 353253

The Students' Union Money Doctor also has useful pages with information, advice and guidance. See section below. 

About Staffordshire University Undergraduate Bursaries

We offer a range of bursaries to help support your studies. Whatever your background we are confident that our new fee and access policy is fair and makes university an affordable option. You apply for the University Bursary when you apply for your Loans and Grants. This data is passed to the University and we assess your entitlement. Letters confirming your bursary will be sent out by November each year. If you are expecting a bursary but do not receive a letter by the end of November, please call into the Information Centre at Stoke or Stafford. Bursary payments are made at the end of February and the end of May

Visit our Fees and Funding pages for more information regarding our University Bursaries.

Funding can be very different depending upon your course, when you began studying your course and what your household income is. For more information see our Fees and Funding pages. Here you will find information regarding the cost of your tuition fees, statutory support available and also information about the University Bursary.

The Students Union now has Money Doctors available to assist in giving you information advice and guidance about finances - see below.

Undergraduate

If you are studying less than 60 cats please complete this form.

If you are studying 60 cats or more you must apply to your Student Finance England for a grant to help pay for your Tuition Fees. The University cannot waive your fees if you choose not to apply. If Student Finance England rejects your application the University may waive your fees if you are in receipt of benefits or if your income is low. A copy of the rejection letter from Student Finance England would be required or previous degree certificate (reason for no support).

SURF

SURF members of staff studying a Staffordshire University part time course can obtain a waiver of tuition fees and should supply a letter on College letterhead to Janet Newey (details as per below).

Postgraduate

PG students please complete this form. A maximum of 50% tuition fee reduction may be awarded.

Please return the completed form to:

In person at either Information Centres (Flaxman Building Stoke or Beacon Building Stafford)

Scan the form and evidence and email to j.newey@staffs.ac.uk

Post to: Janet Newey, Information Centre, Staffordshire University, Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0AD

Fee Waiver Form (PDF, file size: 364.39KB)

The Guide to student finance for part time students 2011/12 is available to download now.

New part time students
New students will be able to download the part time application forms as per above.

Continuing part time students
Will be sent an application pack directly either by email or post from Student Finance England. If you do not receive a pack, please access the link above to download an application form.

About Council Tax Certificates

If you are a full time student living with other full time students, then you will not be liable to pay Council Tax. Full time students living with non-students are also not liable for Council Tax but the house will still attract the tax which the non-student will have to pay. If there is only one adult non-student in the house, the Council Tax bill should be reduced by 25%. This has been the position since 6th April 2004.

The University will provide the local Council Tax offices (Stoke & Newcastle Under Lyme) with lists of full-time students to ensure exemption.  If you wish, you can request a Council Tax exemption certificate from the Student Records Office in the Information Centres at Stoke and Stafford from the last week of October.  You will require to show your current Student ID Card.  The certificate will be ready for collection within 3 working days.  Should you have any queries regarding the Council Tax you should contact your local Council Tax office.

Do you have a question about money?
Are you sure you’re getting all you’re entitled to financially?
Do you know how you could make savings?

Money Doctors is part of the Students’ Union Student Advice Centre. It is free, independent, impartial and confidential. Here to help you to keep your finances healthy. So why not come and see us for a free financial check-up.

t: 01782 294469, Students’ Union Building, Stoke Campus
t: 01785 353425, Beacon Building, Stafford Campus
www.staffsunion.com/moneydoctors