2012: questions and answers

I started a course in September 2011. Will I be affected?

No, the changes only affect students who start at university from September 2012. If you have already started your course by this date, you will not be affected by the fee increase in your later years of study. The annual tuition fee will remain at broadly the same level for current students and students starting in 2011, but will be increased by a small amount (linked to inflation) each year. This is set by the government and details will be published on our website.

I applied in the 2011 cycle for deferred entry to 2012; will I have to pay higher fees?

Yes. The new fee arrangements will apply to all students starting their course in 2012 - even if you applied in 2011 and asked for a deferral. Students starting university in 2012 will also have access to the new financial support arrangements too.

We have contacted all applicants who have applied in the 2010-11 admissions cycle but have requested a deferred place for 2012, giving them the opportunity to choose whether they want to proceed with their deferral or be considered instead for 2011 entry.

How much will the University charge for fees from 2012?

Following approval of plans by the University's Council on 11 April 2011, the University is now proposing a tuition fee of £9,000 a year for full-time, home undergraduate degree students from academic year 2012-13. This will apply to students starting their degree in 2012-13.

Does everyone starting an undergraduate course in September 2012 have to pay the full £9,000?

No, the following exceptions to the £9,000 tuition fee will apply:

• The tuition fee for our Science & Engineering foundation year will be £6,000 from academic year 2012-13.
• The tuition fee for our foundation year in Medicine will be £6,000 from academic year 2012-13.
• The tuition fee for all overseas placements years (including those spent on study or work placements) will be £2,000 for students starting their degree programme in 2012.
• The tuition fee for a year spent on a work placement in the UK, where it does not contribute credits to your final degree, will be £1,100 for salaried placement years and £0 for non-salaried placement years. This applies to students starting their degree programme in 2012.
• The tuition fee for the placement year for the MChem in Chemistry with Study in Industry will be £3,000. This applies to students starting their degree programme in 2012.
• No fee will be charged for Architecture and Landscape students for the year that they spend in practice.
• Fees for a number of courses funded by the NHS are set separately by the NHS. In the following cases, fees are paid for by the NHS and not by students:
  - £20,609 for Dental Hygiene and Therapy
  - £9,897 for Orthoptics
  - £9,897 for BMedSci in Speech Science

Will all Universities charge the same for their courses?

It is up to each individual university to decide on its tuition fee levels and the financial support it offers to students.

The new tuition fees will be a lot more than they are today; what financial support will be available?

It's important to remember that tuition fees from 2012 will not have to be paid up front. You will not need to repay anything until after you leave your course and are earning over £21,000, when you will pay back a relatively small amount each month against the loan from the government which you take out to fund your tuition fees. There will also be a range of financial support available from the government for students including non-means-tested loans to help with living expenses, plus means-tested grants and scholarships.

Government financial support

• All home students who meet the normal residence criteria* have access to a loan for all tuition fee costs
• They will also have access to a maintenance loan to help with living costs. The exact amount of loan will depend on household income.
• Means-tested grants will be available depending on personal circumstances. The exact amount of the grant will depend on household income.

Prospective students will need to apply for tuition fee loans and maintenance grants/loans at direct.gov.uk and yourfuture.direct.gov.uk.

It is expected that students will be able to apply for financial assessment from late 2011. Further details about Government financial support can be found at direct.gov.uk.

*Broadly - are UK/EU nationals, and have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years

University financial support
From 2012 The University will be offering a package of financial support to selected students as follows:

• Using funding from the government's National Scholarships Programme (NSP) and the University's own money, we will be offering up to 200 first year fee waivers (£9,000) to home students from low income households who live in economically deprived areas. These students won't need to take out a tuition fee loan for their first year, because the cost will be covered by the University and the NSP.
• Care leavers qualify for an enhanced bursary of £1,600 and the first year fee waiver automatically.
• A new bursary scheme will offer either a cash award or accommodation discount to UK students from families with household incomes up to £42,000 per year. Bursaries are paid each year for the duration of the degree programme and do not need to be repaid. The amount of bursary will range from £1,400 a year to £500 a year and will depend on household income.
• There will also be fee waivers (amount tbc) for UK mature students from low income households on foundation courses offered by our Institute for Lifelong Learning (TILL).

How much will I repay, how and when?

You will only start to repay your tuition fee and living cost loans after you have left higher education and are earning at least £21,000. This £21,000 threshold will increase in line with earnings from 2016 onwards. If for any reason your income falls below £21,000 your repayments will be suspended, for example if you take maternity leave or if you decide to move to a lower paid job.

The amount repaid each month will depend on your earnings - repayments will be capped at 9% of income above £21,000. So if your salary is £25,000, you would pay nine per cent of £4,000 which is £30 a month.

Example
Someone earning £21,500 - currently the salary of a newly-qualified teacher - would initially make repayments of £4 per month. The monthly repayment would increase to £23 for someone earning £24,000 per year; £30 on a salary of £25,000; £45 on £27,000; and £68 on £30,000.

You can calculate typical weekly repayment amounts based on different graduate jobs using the government's student finance website. The starting salaries are based on 2010 figures, not anticipated starting salaries in 2016.

Making repayments
Payments are taken off your salary automatically so you don't have to do anything. If you're self-employed, you'll pay through HM Revenue and Customs. If you decide to go abroad to work, you will be expected to continue making repayments directly rather than through the UK tax system. However different payment thresholds may apply, to reflect the higher or lower costs of living in different countries.

Interest rates
Interest on your loan will be charged at inflation plus 3% while you are studying, and up until the April after you leave university.

From the April after you leave university if you are earning below £21,000, interest will be applied at the rate of inflation.

Graduates earning between £21,000 and £41,000 will be charged interest on a sliding scale up to a maximum of inflation plus 3%.

Graduates earning above £41,000 will be charged interest at the full rate of inflation plus 3%.

You will repay your loan over a period of 30 years. The government will write off any loan repayments left outstanding after this period.

Paying off your fees early
You can choose to pay all or part of your tuition fee upfront and take out a loan for the rest. If you want to settle your loan early, the government has confirmed that you will be able to do so without incurring an additional charge.

More information
For further information about government loans and repayment arrangements, go to www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance.

What is included in the tuition fee?

The annual fee for your course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition. If an item or activity is classed as a compulsory element for your course, it will be included in your tuition fee.

Examples of compulsory elements may include:

• residential and non-residential field trips, visits and theatre trips, where they are compulsory for your course
• professional accreditation exams and membership of regulatory bodies – where they are a core requirement of your course
• lab equipment and other items required for compulsory research projects
• any special materials for producing course work, if required by your department

Examples of optional elements, which may not be included in your tuition fee are:

• books and texts
• optional field trips, or field trips where you chose to go to an alternative destination
• private pilot's instruction
• electrical equipment like laptops, digital cameras etc
• any charges associated with resitting exams – including professional accreditation exams
• travel and accommodation costs associated with industrial placements and clinical placements
• travel and accommodation costs, plus any insurance, visas and vaccinations required for time spent abroad during your studies
• general printing of your coursework

Departments will publish information about the specific compulsory elements which will be included in your tuition fee when available.

I am a current student at the University; will these changes affect my fees or repayment schemes?

No, students who have started their course before 2012 will not be affected by these changes.

What fees will I pay if I choose to spend part of my degree abroad or working in industry?

• The tuition fee for all overseas placements years (including those spent on study or work placements) will be £2,000 for students starting their degree programme in 2012.
• The tuition fee for a year spent on a work placement in the UK, where it does not contribute credits to your final degree, will be £1,100 for salaried placement years and £0 for non-salaried placement years. This applies to students starting their degree programme in 2012.
• The tuition fee for the placement year for the MChem in Chemistry with Study in Industry will be £3,000. This applies to students starting their degree programme in 2012.

The government has announced proposals to allow unlimited recruitment of students with A-level grades of AAB and above. What does this mean for applicants to the University of Sheffield?

As a leading university, the University of Sheffield already attracts highly qualified students - 60% of our undergraduate students currently achieve grades of AAB+.

If you are thinking of applying for entry in 2012/13 to a course with an entry requirement of less than AAB, it is unlikely that there will be any impact on your application or the number of places available. For courses with AAB (or higher) entry requirements, we do not anticipate any change to entry criteria or numbers of places available.

The recent proposals from government to allow universities to recruit an unlimited number of students achieving grades of AAB or above are subject to consultation so the details may change over the coming months. The University is currently considering how to respond to the proposals and we will update this page if the situation changes.

What are the arrangements for part-time students?

Fees

We have set our part-time fees at £3,375 for 60 credits per year.

Tuition fee loans

Eligible part time first degree students who complete a minimum of 25% of the full-time course load per year (30 credits or more) will be able to take a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of the Fees

Repayments begin four-and-a-half years after the start of the course or on completion - whichever is sooner.

However, like with full time courses, repayments are only made if you're earnings are over £21,000. Any income over £21,000 is repaid at a rate of 9% and the loan is written off after 30 years.

Financial support

Part-time students don't qualify for living costs loans or grants or our main bursary scheme. However we have developed generous proposals for part-time financial support so that less advantaged students are not deterred from applying. These are as follows:

• Foundation course: the standard fee is £3,375 per 60 credits. This applies to students with more than £25,000 income per year and those with previous higher education experience and qualifications. For students whose gross household income is less than £25,000 per year, the University will offer a full fee waiver. Eligible students will therefore pay no fee to complete the foundation programme.
• Certificates: the standard fee is £3,375 per 60 credits. This applies to students with more than £25,000 income per year and those with previous higher education experience and qualifications. Students with a household income of less than £25,000 per year receive a fee waiver (£3,375) for the first 60 credits. You will be expected to pay £3,375 in your 2nd year of study, and you will be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover this cost.
• Part-time degrees: the standard fee is £3,375 per 60 credits. This applies to students with more than £25,000 income per year and those with previous higher education experience and qualifications.

For students with a household income of less than £25,000 there is a full fee waiver (£3,375 per 60 credits) for the first 60 credits and the final 60 credits. This usually equates to year 1 and year 6 of study. You will be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of years 2 to 5.

Students with a household income of less than £18,000 p.a. receive a full fee waiver (£3,375 per 60 credits) for the first 60 credits and the final 60 credits. Plus there is a 50% fee waiver for the remaining 240 credits. You will also be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the remaining cost of years 2 to 5.

I'm an international student; do these changes affect me?

No, these changes only affect students from the UK and European Union. Fees and financial support arrangements for international students are decided by universities and we will be setting our fees later in 2011 for international students starting at university in 2012.

I'm thinking of applying for a postgraduate course starting in 2012. Will these changes affect me?

No, the proposals for the new tuition fees only relate to undergraduate programmes. The tuition fees for University of Sheffield postgraduate courses starting in 2012 will be set later in 2011.

I am transferring from another university to study at Sheffield in September 2012, what fee will I be charged?

As long as you make it clear to your previous university and to us that you are transferring here either to restart first year or continue onto second year, you will be charged £3,465 in 2012. It is very important that you inform Student Finance that you are transferring. If you withdraw from the system and reapply you will be expected to pay £9,000 fee as a new student in 2012.

When you speak to Student Finance, make sure you find out how many years funding is available to you as a consequence of your transfer. Whether you are still eligible for any loans and grants depends on the length of the course you are transferring to.

If you would like advice about your transfer status and funding, contact the Students' Union Money Advisers on 0114 222 8660 or advice@sheffield.ac.uk.

What should I do next?

If you are a current student you don't need to do anything.

If you have applied for a deferred place for 2012 we have written to advise you of your options.

If you are planning to apply for 2012 entry, you can use the information above and also the information provided by the government at direct.gov.uk to start planning. We will be publishing more details of our financial assistance later in 2011.

Advice is also available from our admissions enquiries team on 0114 222 8030.