What unis are means testing Turing scheme funding?

[Yearabroad]

NC for this one. DD applying for MFL and has heard that some universities (Birmingham is one she thinks) are means testing their Turing scheme funding. So if your household income is less than, say £25k, you don’t get funding for year abroad.

This would be a HUGE problem for us as it will be a challenge as it is to top up the minimum maintenance loan (all she qualifies for as household income is £70k).

Does anyone know which unis are means testing their Turing funding in this way?

Hi, I was at Newcastle offer holder day and they said exactly this. They presented it as if it was the standard way of doing things as opposed to their choice ?

Nope, it’s not standard it is their choice. Some unis offering funding without means testing - was told Warwick was one

It's a tricky one as there is so much less funding to go round. I can totally see why universities are means testing, but I can equally see that it will exclude many kids whose parents are above the income threshold because it simply won't be affordable. Another unfortunate consequence of Brexit, unfortunately.

My youngest now thinking twice about studying MFL for this reason. It will be the death knell of MFL degrees for state school kids

Some of us managed to get to pretty advanced MFL levels before there was even an EU to Brexit out of!

Some of us managed to get to pretty advanced MFL levels before there was even an EU to Brexit out of!

Did you pay fees? Get a full grant?

Is it really that way round? So those from families with lower incomes are excluded? How dreadful.

Surely the other way round- means tested so money goes to those from lower incomes?

One of the criteria to get funding from the government is that your Turing scheme supports levelling up - it probably makes it easier to demonstrate this if you means test.

Warwick says those from families on lower incomes get extra help.

"Students who meet one or more of the following criteria, as specified by the Turing Scheme, are eligible to be considered for additional Turing Scheme funding to support with travel costs and an increased grant to support cost of living expenses:

• Students with an annual household income of £25,000 or less (only available to those who have undergone means testing through Student Finance England, Wales or Scotland)"

I don't suppose you were paying £9k tuition fees in those days, though!

I'm assuming it's a typo in the OP, and that it's only the kids from low income families who get the help when this support is means tested.

I'm all in favour of kids from lower income backgrounds getting more support, but it's a shame that a lot of kids in the so-called "squeezed middle" will miss out. A year abroad will increasingly become an option for only those at either end of the socioeconomic spectrum.

Firstly, it's for extra funding as a pp said, not all funding. So all students should get an allowance, means tested students could get more.

Those who qualify for student loans will still qualify during their year abroad, should be the same for bursaries but check your particular uni.

If your DC is doing a British Council or work placement they will get paid for that too.

So income could look like:

Student loan
Bursary
Turing allowance
Extra Turing means tested

Yes it was a typo. So sorry! If your h/h income under £25k you are entitled to Turing funding. But if it's over that sum,, you're not (at some universities - I'm trying to find out which ones hence this post!)

@FetlocksBlowing
The big issue will be the “squeezed middle”. The less well off get all the help now. The next level above who struggle with maybe two DC at university get little help. Where DD did her MFL degree, they got 50% of the Turing money applied for. It’s a total worry for anyone who isn’t going to get a bursary and Turing money because their parents sit just above the very low threshold. It’s also artificially low due to lack of Turing grant and because it’s skewed towards giving all of it to the poorest students. It does allow for assessing the financial level above whose parents earn but are really feeling the pinch. The poorest will be ok.

Interested in this as DD starting MFL degree in October.

A quick google search showed Manchester Uni not offering any Turing funding to those with Household Income greater than £62K
http://www.goabroad.manchester.ac.uk/finance-and-funding/turingscheme/

I’ll keep looking to see if others are being transparent- Oxford is being vague.

@juja I imagine at Oxford it may well depend on the college. At Cambridge, DC’s college hand out bursaries all over the place and there’s talk that they will give to all MFL students to compensate for lack of Turing funding. But it is a very rich college!

At Edinburgh Turing funding was prioritised to those on a course required year abroad ie mfl and from lower household income.

Turing must go to lower income students. Its what’s required. It’s now grossly unfair if Oxbridge funds fully and other parents are £££££ out of pocket. To those who have more, more gets given!

I don’t disagree @TizerorFizz. But that’s what DC’s friends at his college in C are hoping!

there was no need for UK to pull out of Erasmus. We could have stayed in post-Brexit. It was just BoJo willy-waving for a “hard Brexit”

@Yearabroad I agree. It’s a total
mistake.

@Yearabroad @TizerorFizz Agree completely - I expect most of us with DC doing MFL are pretty furious about the whole ditching of Erasmus, access to working in the EU etc - all unnecessary even with Brexit (which personally I’m against)!

So short sighted for the country as a whole - our children’s future opportunities are being massively compromised.

As far as I understand all universities are limiting Turing funds to WP categorised students. It’s not university policy. It’s is Government policy. Our scene is overseen by Capita (!!!)

But it’s not means-tested as such - it’s for WP classified students which is a much wider range than the socio-economic factor.

But as far as I understand at my place it’s not our policy, it’s the Government’s policy.

@TizerorFizz It’s a bit tired that all Oxbridge students are rich. And frankly if over £25k parental income is “rich” then I’d bet every nearly every student in the country would fit into this “loaded” category.

Yes it’s government policy but universities didn’t get what they bid for. The year abroad is a part of the course for everyone and it’s not a jolly for the ones whose parents must contribute.

I looked at DDs former university. They got 50% of their bid. They have a generous scheme for students from lower achieving schools and also one wonders how they will fund non MFL undergrads studying abroad. There’s lots of them too. Having said that, MFL students are less likely to be in the lower offer scheme but, as far as I can see, Turing is a long way off Erasmus funding. We are such a stupid country!!