Information for Prospective Students on Fees for Tuition at Aberystwyth from 2012/13

Aberystwyth University has confirmed a set tuition fee of £9,000 a year for all Home/EU undergraduate courses from 2012/13. This fee level is subject to approval by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. It is important to bear in mind that no tuition fee is payable upfront. The Government provides loans to cover fees and these loans will not be repayable until you start to earn £21,000 or above. You will then pay 9% of your income over £21,000, so if your salary is £25,000 you pay 9% of £4,000, which is £30 per month.

The following information is based on our best understanding of government guidelines. If you have any questions concerning tuition fees, or accommodation fees please contact our Student Financial Advice Office (http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/finance-office/student-fees-office/useful-contacts/).

Tuition Fees

What are Tuition Fees?

Tuition fees will cover the provision of teaching for your course. You may need to ask your department about any additional costs such as field costs and course materials, including text books, so that you can build these into your budgeting. Tuition fees are separate from accommodation costs and day to day living costs.

Why has Aberystwyth decided to set this fee?

Higher Education in the UK is facing significantly reduced levels of funding from central government and, like other Universities across the UK, we have had to adjust our fee levels in order to ensure that we are able to continue to maintain the excellent learning and teaching environment of which we are rightly proud and which our students fairly expect. The fees set will not result in additional income for Aberystwyth, but will help to replace reduced government funding.

Aberystwyth University is committed to the enhancing the student experience. Students who graduate from Aberystwyth receive an Aberystwyth University degree.

Why is the fee subject to approval?

In order to be permitted to charge fees above £4,000, all Welsh Universities are required to produce a Fee Plan, for approval by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. This must demonstrate how the University will use student income to invest in activities which advance equality of opportunity or promote higher education.

Our fee plan will be published in full on our website in the summer, once it is approved by the Funding Council. We anticipate that we will receive confirmation from the Funding Council in July 2011.

Will my choice of subject affect the fee?

No, the fee for a full-time UG course will be £9,000 per year, regardless of the academic discipline. This reflects the costs to the University of ensuring a high quality learning and teaching environment and excellent student experience for all students.

My course includes a sandwich year/study abroad. Will I be charged the full fee for the sandwich year/year abroad?

We anticipate continuing with the existing arrangements, whereby the sandwich year/year abroad is charged at half the normal tuition fee, and we are exploring ways in which to enhance provision during the sandwich year/year abroad.

I'm starting in 2011, will my fee change?

No. If you started your course in 2011 you will be charged £3,375 per annum. The new fee level will be introduced for first years from 2012 onwards. If you are already at university you will not incur the new charges (see below for progression from HND/FD to honours degree)

What this means for students

I'm from Wales. How will all this affect me?

As under the current system, Welsh-domiciled students will be liable for around the first £3,465 (2012 fee level, subject to Student Support Regulations). This cost will be met through a loan from the Student Loan Company which you will then begin to pay back only once your earnings meet the threshold of £21,000 per annum (see www.slc.co.uk) for details of how to apply for your loan.

The balance of the fee over and above this will be met by the Welsh Government, through a fee grant (Subject to Student Support Regulations). The tuition fee grant is not means tested and will not need to be repaid.

Do I qualify as a Welsh domicile?

Persons who have settled status in the UK and have been resident in the UK for three years before the first day of the first academic year of the course and are ordinarily resident in Wales on the first academic year of the course will be regarded as domiciled in Wales for the purposes of support from Student Finance Wales.

UK students who move to Wales for the purpose of studying are to be regarded as ordinarily resident in the place (in the UK) from which they moved, these students would not be entitled to support from Student Finance Wales.

I'm from elsewhere in the UK

Students from other parts of the UK are eligible for tuition fee loans to study in Wales. You can apply for funding to study at Aberystwyth in exactly the same way as if you were studying nearer home. (see www.slc.co.uk) for details of how to apply for your loan.

To help with the costs of your study, our attractive bursary package is open to students from all parts of the UK and can help considerably with living costs and are awards or grants which do not have to be paid back.

I'm from a non-UK EU country.

Eligible students from within the EU will be treated the same as Welsh-domiciled students, in that you will be liable only for the first £3,465 of your annual fees (2012, fee level subject to Student Support Regulations). The remaining amount will be covered by the Welsh Government fee grant (subject to Student Support Regulations).

To check your eligibility, see the government guidance at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm.

I am planning to defer my entry from 2011 to 2012

If you defer from 2011 entry to 2012 you will be entering under the new arrangements in place from September 2012 and will be required to pay the new fee.

I am planning to progress from an HND or Foundation degree to an Honours degree in 2012

Students currently on HND or Foundation Degrees who progress to an Honours degree will continue on the fee set for their HND.

Additional Support from the University

Will there be any support to help with day to day living costs?

We offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and awards. This has been carefully reviewed in the light of the increased fee levels and from 2012/13 will be our most generous package yet, as part of our commitment to ensuring that students from all income groups can continue to access higher education.

We are committed to providing as much support for our students as possible and we have appointed a 'money doctor' post in our Student Welcome Centre, to provide you with any guidance in money management which you need. Please do not hesitate to ask for help or advice. We are here to help (http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/student-support/).

You may also be eligible for government loans to help cover your living costs. For more information, see the links below.

Repayments

When will I be required to pay the fees back?

You are not required to pay the fee up-front. You will be able to take out a loan to cover your fee costs, which you will then begin to pay back once you are earning at least £21,000. At this point, you will be required to pay 9% of your salary over £21,000. Variable progressive rates of interest will be charged, depending on your income.

For example, the payments on a salary of £25,000 per annum would be 9% of the £4,000 above the £21,000 threshold, or £30 a month.

This means that under the new system you will be paying less per month once you do start to repay your fees than under the current system.

If your annual income should fall below £21,000 loan payments will be suspended until it rises above the threshold again.

How long will I be required to make payments for?

After 30 years, the loan and the accrued interest will be written off. During that time you will only have been asked to make payments when your salary has been in excess of £21,000 (a figure which is indexed and can be expected to rise overtime), and at 9% of the difference between £21,000 and your salary.

Other Students

I will be studying part-time. How will this affect me?

From 2012, it is expected that part-time students will be able to access a tuition fee loan depending on the level of intensity of their course. We are waiting for further details on this.

Will this affect international students?

The UK fee changes will not affect international students. These will continue to be set separately and published on our website.

Will this affect postgraduate students?

Postgraduate fees will continue to be set separately and will be published on our website.

Useful links:

Further information on the support available can be found at the following sites: