Senate
Subject: Revision of
Origin: Jennifer
Nutkins, Academic Registrar
1. Tuition
Fees and Bursaries for PGCE Students
The PGCE is
covered by the same provisions in the Higher Education Act (2004) relating to
fees and bursaries as full-time undergraduate programmes.
In June 2005, it was announced that, for 2006 entry Teaching Training Agency
bursaries for Design &Technology and Science trainees would increase from
£6k to £9k for all students regardless of income but the special scheme
providing support for less well off students studying these programmes would
end. PE trainees will continue to receive £6k as now. The first £1,200 of the
new government HE maintenance grant will not be means tested for PGCE students,
maintaining the current level of financial support. All students will therefore
receive either £10,200 or £7,200 in maintenance support depending on their
subject specialism.
At its meeting on 19 July 2005, Council approved the following proposals:
1. That Loughborough charge a tuition fee of £3,000 to all PGCE students from
2006/07. This will rise with inflation in future years as agreed for full-time
undergraduate programmes.
This increases the basic cost of a PGCE by £1,800 which can be borrowed from
the SLC.
2. We offer £300 bursaries to the poorest students only.
(Poorer students will be eligible for up to £1,500 additional means-tested maintenance support giving a government
support package of £2,700 on top of the TTA bursary. In order to charge £3,000
fees we are required to provide minimum bursaries of £300 to the poorest students
(income less than £17,500), however, the OFFA guidance clearly suggests we need
not feel obliged to offer more. We therefore propose bursaries of £300 to the
lowest income students only, bearing in mind that if we used our standard
scheme we would only be offering a further £1,000 which seems unlikely to make
a huge difference to a student who would already be receiving £8,700 or £11,700
in the case of D&T and Science, tax free.)
It was noted that should competitors be more generous to shortage subject
trainees and applications fall as a result, bursary levels might need to be
reviewed for the Science and Design & Technology PGCEs during the 2005/06
admissions cycle.
2. Amendments to the Bursary Scheme for
Full-time
In July
2005, the DfES published revised threshold incomes for determining eligibility
for the new Higher Education Maintenance grant for new full-time
The
University’s bursary scheme set out in its Access Agreement has been
reviewed in the light of these figures and the known bursary schemes of key
competitors. Council has now agreed to revisions of the scheme as follows:
[Revised figures are underlined.]
Annual
Loughborough Bursary
Residual Income*
|
Under 21 on Entry
|
21 or over on entry
|
|
Up to £17,500 (Previously
£15,200) |
£1,300 |
£2,600 |
|
£17,501 to £19,500 (Previously £15,201
to £19,000) |
£1,100 |
£2,200 |
|
£19,501 to £22,500 (Previously £19,001
to £22,500) |
£
800 |
£1,600 |
|
£22,501
to £26,000 |
£
600 |
£1,200 |
|
£26,001
to £29,500 |
£
400 |
£
800 |
|
£29,501
to £33,000 |
£
200 |
£
400 |
* £17,500 from DfES Press Notice 2005/0078, 14 July 2005
Author
– Dr Jennifer Nutkins
Date
– November 2005
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Loughborough University. All rights
reserved.