Can someone advise how much my son will get for uni please

[Dowser]

He will be 39 , three boys at home in full time education. Partner not working at present.
He doesn’t live in London.
No savings.
He’s going to be an ODP...theatre nurse..starting this September
He’s hoping to do some paid work while studying
He thinks he’s only entitled to money for course fees but I thought you got help with living allowance also

I think eligibility for funding depends on whether he has had funding for a degree already and the subject of that degree. It also depends on where you live in the UK. If he has had funding before, he might not be eligible for further funding.

Is he confusing the NHS bursary with Student Finance when he says he only gets money for course fees? The NHS bursary pays the tuition fees. There is also a (small) means tested part of the bursary for living expenses. You don't have to pay back the money from the the NHS bursary.

You can also get a means tested reduced maintenance loan from Student Finance, the same as any undergraduate (less than the loan for degrees that aren't NHS funded) but that has to be paid back. There are online calculators for both.

No he never did a degree.
Worked as an apprentice electrician till the firm went bust before completing
Then went back to FE where he got the NVQ in computers

Would that prevent him from getting funding do you think?
He left FE at age 21

If he doesn’t get a loan I don’t think he will be able to continue.
I’m starting to feel very worried about this.

Martin Lewis has quite a bit on his website about student loans and fees. He says maintenance loans are available now for over 60 s so presume your son should be eligible?

What’s your yearly household income?

I think you have to be earning over 25k before it affects your maintenance loan.

I was 37, quit my job, applied for uni. Got my course fees paid and was entitled to £8944 maintenance loan which was the full amount.

I’m starting to feel very worried about this.

He's an adult - surely he's thought about finances?

I’m starting to feel very worried about this.

Well I mean at almost 40 with 3 dependants and a partner not working I think it's rather up to him to decide if this is a viable option for him just now. If it's already putting worry onto others then maybe he needs a rethink.

Didn't he and his partner think about this before he applied to the course? He's nearly 40

The short answer is he'll get a full loan for his fees, a full loan for his maintenance and UC.

Have they spoken to a benefits officer? UC can be horrid with maint loans

@Dowser if he hasn't had a tuition or maintenance loan for an undergraduate degree from Student Finance before, he will be eligible for this degree. The tuition loan is automatically for the full amount, the maintenance part is means tested on his and his DP's income. There is also a childcare element. It has to be paid back after graduation if he is earning more than £25k. Here is the calculator.

www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator

The NHS bursary rules have just changed so he is probably eligible for an NHS bursary (which doesn't have to be paid back) but I don't think the calculator is up and running with the changes yet. He would need to know the number of his weeks for the course for the calculator. It is also partly means tested. Here is some info:

www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/nhs-bursary#Funding_NHS_bursary_ENGLAND
www.gov.uk/nhs-bursaries

If he is eligible for an NHS bursary, he will get a reduced student maintenance loan. It is approximately the same in total but be aware it could add up to a little less than the maintenance loan from Student Finance.

There should be funding info on his university/course website. If it hasn't been updated with the changes to the NHS bursary, he should speak to the university.

There may also be bursaries from his university that he is eligible for. There are also a few bursaries and scholarships available from charities eg if he is the first generation in your family to go to university etc

Thank you titchy. That’s really helpful
Thanks to everyone else too

If he has no previous degree he will get tuition (paid to the uni) and maintenance (paid to him). Maintence depends on household income and as long as its below 16000 pa (not sure on exact amount) he will be eligible for full maintenance. If the children are school age he will also get child/dependence grant on top and if his partner isnt working MAY be able to claim adults dependence grant. In totally at a rough estimate it will be around 10000paid to him + Grant's for children/adult dependents

As above best to look if hes eligible for nhs bursary and also what hes eligible for from student finance. If its England its student finance england if hes in wales its student finance wales. They websites it outline the general maintence amount and have informance on dependence grants. If hes really stuck he can call sf to ask about eligibility etc.

Btw good on him for going to uni, me and DH both went as mature students, a close friend of mine started in late 30s and another friend of mine started uni in her 50s. So theres no such thing as too old

The short answer is he'll get a full loan for his fees, a full loan for his maintenance and UC

But the long answer is it's not quite that straightforward. The maintenance loan and any NHS bursary is deducted from UC entitlement so he needs to be aware of that when calculating what UC they will get. He should also bear in mind that the loan has to paid back whereas UC doesn't.

If he gets an NHS bursary, he will only be entitled to a reduced loan not the full loan. The positive is that he doesn't have to pay back the NHS bursary, the negative is that it might not be the same in total as the full loan you get for a normal degree.

He will get a loan but uc to top it up is not always available - his dp would be expected to work, or at least seek work to be eligible

Wow.. loads to digest there
Not surprising we are both a bit confused
Children are 10, 17 and 22 ... this one will still be at uni
17 year old doing A levels

Yes, he’s loving his access to nursing course
He’s getting distinctions right across the board