Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

llingAdvice and Counselling

ServiceQueen Mary, University of London

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Advice and Counselling Service

• Confidential• Free• Personal, emotional, financial, legal or welfare issues • Ground floor, Geography Building, Mile End campus• 020 7882 8717• www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Counselling

EmotionalPersonal Psychological

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Counselling

• Relationship problems• Transition into Higher Education• Homesickness• Difficult decisions• Identity and sexuality• Depression• Anxiety• Academic stress• Family Problems• Enduring mental health problems and crises

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Counselling

• One to one counselling – usually 4-6 sessions

• Group Therapy• ‘All about me’ series of workshops

e.g. Managing Stress, Assertiveness, Self Esteem,

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy• Exam and Academic Anxiety

sessions

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Welfare Advice

WelfareFinancial Legal

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Welfare Advice• Student Finance – loans, grants, bursaries• Fee status and fee problems• Planning a budget• Income checks and income maximisation• Applying for Hardship Funds• Dealing with debt• Immigration Law (authorised by UK government to provide immigration advice at QM)• International Student issues• Interruption of study / re-sits: implications for funding and/or immigration status

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Welfare Advice

• Pre-entry advice e.g. funding, immigration • One to one advice sessions• Advocacy and representation service• Formal appeals or tribunals e.g. student finance, council tax, welfare benefits, entry clearance, Tier 4 immigration

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

This talk is for…

• Students who live in England and who are UK nationals

• Students who have not done any previous university studies

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

llingIf you…

• Live in Scotland, Wales or N Ireland• Have limited permission to stay in the UK• Have lived outside the UK• Are an EU / EEA national• Are a family member of an EU / EEA national• Are an international student• Have studied at university before

We have more detailed information for you – some of you might be eligible but you need to check…

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

More detailed information…

www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/money

And our advice guide for undergraduate students available online…

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Student Finance 2014 entry

4 elements:

• Tuition Fee Loan• Maintenance loan• Maintenance Grant/Special Support

Grant• Additional grants for special

circumstances

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Tuition Fee Loan

• £9,000 a year in 2014/15

• Tuition Fee Loan to pay tuition fees

• Not income assessed• Fees paid direct to

University for you by Student Loans Company (SLC)

• Fully repayable

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Maintenance Loan

Maximum Maintenance Loan in London 2014/15:

• Living away from home in London: £7,751

• Living at parent’s home: £4,418

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Maintenance Loan

• 35% of the Maintenance Loan is income assessed where household income is above £42,875

• Maintenance Loan amount will be further reduced if you also have the maintenance grant

• Paid in three equal instalments: September, January and April

• Fully repayable

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Maintenance Grant

• Not repayable • Fully Income assessed:

* full grant where household income is £25,000 or less* no grant where income is above £42,620

• Maximum £3,387 in each year of course

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Maintenance Grant

• Paid in three instalments with maintenance loan

• Reduces your maximum Maintenance Loan by 50p for every £1 of Maintenance Grant

• Some students with children or with disabilities receive Special Support Grant instead: no reduction of Maintenance Loan

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Living Costs SupportHousehold Income

M Grant M Loan Total

>£25,000 £3,387 £6,058 £9,445

£30,000 £2,441 £6,531 £8,972

£40,000 £547 £7,478 £8,025

£50,000 £0 £7,032 £7,032

£60,000 £0 £6,022 £6,022

Over £69,744

£0 £5,038 £5,038

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Supplementary Grants

• Disabled Students Allowances

• Adult Dependants Grant

• Childcare Grant• Parents Learning

Allowance

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

QM Bursaries

• National Scholarship Programme (NSP)

• HEI only bursaries• Eligible students will

be entitled to one of these, not both

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

QM Bursaries 2014-15

• Non-repayable• Household income up to

£25,000: £1,500 each year

• Household income between £25,001 and £42,600: £1,200 each year

• http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

QM/National Scholarship Programme (NSP)

• Jointly funded 50:50 between government and HEIs

• Payable in Year 1 only• 700 NSP awards at QM in 2014-15• Household income less than £25,000• Academic assessment criteria (at QM –

other HEIs will have set their own criteria)

• QM Package : £2,000 cash bursary• http://bit.ly/QT7ZgJ

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Excellence Scholarships

• Science and Engineering - £3,000 for each year of study

• Modern Foreign Languages - £3,000 for 1st 2 years of study

• Economics and Finance - £3000 a year• based on academic performance not

household income• no need to apply separately• additional to QM National Scholarship

Programme/QM Bursary Scheme

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Applying for Student Finance package

• Must apply, even if only taking the Fee Loan

• Apply to Student Finance England• https://www.gov.uk/apply-online-f

or-student-finance• Applications are now open for 2014

entry• Apply by 30 May if possible• Student Finance: 0845 300 5090

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Independent Status

• Independent status means that you will not be assessed on your parental income

• Spouse, civil partner or partner income will be assessed

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Independent Status

• No contact with parents, or no living parents or local authority care, or

• Aged 25 or over on first day of the relevant academic year or married / civil partnership or carer of under 18 yr old, or

• Financially self supporting for a total of any three years before the first academic year of the course

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Loan Repayments•Fee loans/maintenance loans combined into a single loan account with the SLC• Repay 9% of income above £21,000 • If salary falls below £21,000, repayments stop•Deducted from salary usually through PAYE•No charge for early repaymenthttps://www.gov.uk/student-finance/repayments

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Repayment GuideEarnings Annual

RepaymentMonthly Deduction from salary

£21,000 0 0£22,000 £90 £7£30,000 £810 £67£40,000 £1,710 £142£50,000 £2,610 £217

£55,000 £3,510 £292

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Interest Rates

• Interest payable–During study @ RPI + 3%–Once completed study @

RPI–9 months from graduation

£21,000 - £41,000 income gradual rise from @ RPI to @ RPI + 3%–Over £41,000 @ RPI + 3%

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Where will the money come from?

Tuition Fee Loan Maintenance Loan Maintenance Grant/Special Support Grant Additional grants: disability, dependants National Scholarship Programme/QM Bursaries • Part-time and vacation work • University Financial Assistance Fund• Student overdraft• Welfare Benefits• Tax Credits• Charities and Trusts

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Managing your money• Apply in good time for Student

Finance / NHS funding

• Plan a realistic budget and stick to it

• Use discount schemes e.g. NUS, NHS, travel discounts

• Contact a Welfare Adviser in the Advice and Counselling Service before you start your course

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Further information on Student Finance

https://www.gov.uk/student-finance

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk

SLC downloadable guides:http://bit.ly/TTQp9s

QM Advice and Counselling Service: http://www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/money/undergraduates/finance/index.html

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Service Information

• Bookable appointments • Telephone appointments (welfare

advice) – useful if difficult to come in person

• Email enquiries via website• www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk• 020 7882 8717• Ground floor, Geography building,

Mile End campus

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d

Cou

nse

lling

Ad

vice

an

d C

ou

nse

lling

Stay up-to-date…

@QMUL_ACS

facebook.com/QMACS