Tuition Fees & Finance FAQ

Newcastle College student fees and financial arrangements for 2012: Frequently Asked Questions.

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions relating to the changes in tuition fees and student funding proposed for 2012. These changes only apply to UK and EU students studying in England.

1. What changes should we expect?

From 2012 the government is proposing that tuition fees will be raised. The fee at Newcastle College for students starting their course in September 2012 will be £5,800 per year.

2. When is this likely to happen?

The new fee structure will apply to student starting their undergraduate degree course in Autumn 2012. It will also apply to students who may have deferred a place in 2011 (for example, following a gap year).

3. What fee will Newcastle College charge?

Newcastle College will be charging all new full-time students in 2012/2013, or students returning to a new course after a break or Gap Year, fees of £5,800.

Please visit www.direct.gov/studentfinance for information on the government support available for full-time higher education.

Please visit www.newcastlecollege.co.uk/hetuitionfees for more information as and when it becomes available. .

4. Why are tuition fees being increased?

All universities and colleges offering higher education will be subject to significant cuts in the funding received from the government.

£2.9 billion will be cut from the annual £5.1 billion university funding grant. This cut means that colleges offering higher education and universities will need to charge more in order to continue to provide a high quality student experience.

5.Does this mean that students joining Newcastle College in 2012 will have to pay higher fees while studying?

Full-time undergraduate students will not have to pay their fees up front whilst they are at college or university. The Government will provide tuition fee loans to cover the cost, which you will start to repay when you are in employment.

6. When and how will this loan be repaid to the Government?

In 2012 there will be no upfront tuition fees and a progressive repayment system will be introduced, higher education will remain free to you and will provide you with excellent long term value. You will only pay back your tuition fees when you are earning £21,000 or more and even then, you will only pay back 9% of your income above £21,000.

This means that if you start on the average graduate salary of £22,000 you will only be paying back £7.50 per month. And if you never earn enough to repay, your loan will be written off after 30 years. This repayment system protects both low-earners and anyone who may come from low earning households. Please see the table below for a full breakdown of monthly repayments in relation to salary earned.

Salary	Amount of Annual Salary from which 9% will be deducted	Monthly repayments
£25,000	£4,000	£30.00
£30,000	£9,000	£67.50
£35,000	£14,000	£105.00
£40,000	£19,000	£142.50
£45,000	£24,000	£180.00
£50,000	£29,000	£217.50
£55,000	£34,000	£255.00
£60,000	£39,000	£292.50

7. What funding is available for living expenses?

Financial help is available to the cost of living. Students from families with an annual income of less than £25,000 per year will be eligible for a non-repayable maintenance grant of up to £3,250.

Students with a family income of between £25,000 and £42,000 per year will be eligible for a partial non-repayable grant.

Maintenance loans will also be available, irrespective of family income.

Look at the table below to find the kind of support on offer to students living away from home and studying outside London. Figures are based on household income.

Household income	Non repayable grant	Living cost loan	Total
£25,000 or less	£3,250	£3,875	£7,125
£30,000	£2,341	£4,330	£6,671
£35,000	£1,432	£4,784	£6,216
£40,000	£523	£5,239	£5,762
£45,000	£0	£5,288	£5,288
£50,000	£0	£4,788	£4,788
£55,000	£0	£4,288	£4,288
£60,000	£0	£3,788	£3,788
Over £62,500	£0	£3,575	£3,575

8. Will graduates be expected to pay interest on these loans?

For graduates earning less than £21,000 there will be no real rate of interest applied to your loan.

For those earning between £21,000 and £41,000 a real rate of interest will be charged reaching a maximum of RPI (Retail Prices Index) plus 3 per cent. (The RPI measures the average price of goods and services on a month to month basis and is an indicator of inflation.)

For graduates earning over £41,000 per year a full rate of RPI plus 3 per cent will be charged.

9. Is there any funding available for students who may want to study part time?

Yes. Tuition loans will be available for students wanting to study part-time undergraduate programmes (up to 25% of a full time course).

This is new for 2012, as current students pay part-time fees up front. However, there will be no maintenance loans available for part-time students.

10. What is likely to happen to postgraduate fees?

The changes to undergraduate fees and funding will not apply to postgraduate students.

Newcastle College, like all higher education institutions, will continue to determine the level of fees for our postgraduate programmes. Postgraduate fee levels for 2012 will be available at www.newcastlecollege.co.uk.

11. Will these changes affect international students?

The new funding conditions only apply to UK and EU tuition fees.

International applicants will find fee information for 2012 entry by visiting www.newcastlecollege.co.uk/international. For more information about fees and funding arrangements for students applying for 2012 entry please visit the Department for Business Innovation & Skills website at http://www.bis.gov.uk.