Home Undergraduate Funding
Introduction
The undergraduate funding system changed substantially for students entering Higher Education for the first time in 2006 and onwards.
The changes have meant that the package of support you can apply from the 2006/07 academic year will depend on whether you are an 'old system' or 'new system' student.
'New system' students
You will be considered a 'new system' student if you are starting a course from September 2006 and are not an 'old system' student.
'Old system' students
You will be considered to be an 'old system' student if you:
- have deferred a gap year in 2005/06 and by 1st August 2005 you received confirmation of your deferred place for 2006/2007 from the University of Bristol;
- were not able to take up your intended 2005/2006 place at the University of Bristol because of A-level results which you have successfully appealed against and are starting in 2006/2007 instead;
- started your current course before September 2006 or have transferred from a course that started before then; or
- are starting an 'end-on' degree course after completing a Foundation Degree, Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND) or Diploma of Higher Education course in 2005/2006.
If you are not sure whether you are a 'new system' or 'old system' student, please contact the Student Funding Office or your local authority for advice.
Previous study rules
Generally, support for courses will be available for the length of the course, plus one extra year if needed, minus any years of previously supported higher education. However, this is can be a complex area of funding and you are advised to contact the Student Funding Office for advice on how previous supported years will affect your future statutory funding entitlement.
Second undergraduate degrees
Students who have already achieved an honours degree are not entitled to further statutory funding from their LA, if they decide to undertake a second undergraduate degree. The exceptions to this rule are students who undertake a second degree which leads to a professional qualification as a medical doctor, dentist, veterinary doctor and architect. Students undertaking these courses will still be entitled to apply for a maintenance loan for living expenses and other supplementary grants from their LA, such as the Parents' Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant (for registered childcare), Disabled Students' Allowance and Adult Dependants' Grant. However, they will not be entitled to apply for the Tuition Fee Loan nor the Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant.
Students undertaking a second undergraduate degree in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science are eligible to apply to the Access to Learning Fund (ALF) if they are in financial hardship.
Students on second degree courses (other than Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science) are not considered a priority for ALF but will considered for support via the University's Hardship Fund.
Applicants will be expected to have made full provision for their tuition fees and living costs prior to commencing their programme of study.
Like ALF, the hardship fund is intended as a safety net for students in financial difficulty or unforeseen/emergency situations rather than being their main source of support.
In order to determine whether an applicant has made such a provision, the application will be assessed in line with postgraduate guidance for applications to the ALF. As such, we consider the Notional Postgraduate Income (NPI) to be indicative that the student has made realistic provision. The NPI is set by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Please refer to our postgraduate ALF web page for further information about the assessment process.