PGCE Funding - Directgov student loans 2011

Hana_87

Hello,

Does anyone know if the usual funding is still going to be available for students doing a PGCE in September 2011?

I have applied and am currently filling in an application form for the usual student loans & grants but read a newspaper article a couple of days ago which suggested the government are cutting funding for education by quite a bit.. :frown:

Out of interest. Are you filling in the student loans & grants application forms now for PGCE Sept 2011?

Reply 22

stayce88

apparently not, the words were 'the bursary is not an entitlement but a privilege'

Well, there's only one way to get ahead in life. Start complaining. First to the University then to the TDA.

TDA Bursary Funding Manual 2010-11 for PGCEs & SKEs

I looked through it, the TDA manual implies entitlement subject to eligibility, not availability.

Specifically complain with regards to Section 2.4. Then complain that Eligibility Criterion 6 is insufficient reason for a ITT provider to deny eligibility of bursary given that you fulfill all other criteria in Section 6.2. Specifically question if the University actually follows another set of guidelines aside from the offical TDA Funding Manual (hopefully, the answer is a rhetorical "no" ).

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 23

stayce88

Awesome, thanx ill look into that :smile:

they have said they are following the HEFCE rules?

When you said "Post Compulsory", that means you're not teaching at Secondary or Primary school level right?

In anycase, is your course supposed to be called a PCE or PCET FE? I ask because for example from this website:

http://www.uel.ac.uk/studentservices/moneymatters/pgcestudents.htm

A distinction is made between courses on where the funding comes from. for PCET students, it says money is from the HEFCE and not all students will get bursary (£7k or £4k) due to funding shortages. Where as PGCE funding (£9k/£6k/£4k) seems to back up what I thought as it's from the TDA.

If that's the case, then well :frown:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 24

Have the HEFCE bursary figures changed? In 2009/10, I am almost certain they were £9000 and £6000 for priority and secondary subjects respectively; I got these figures from Exeter who ran a post-compulsory course until this year.

stayce88's degree is straddled between 'multi-media studies' and 'media studies' (comes under English, Media Studies and Performing Arts) so that is problematic in itself but, if they suggested that you would receive a bursary when you applied, stayce88, I would drop out of the programme, and contact and give your evidence to Lifelong Learning UK. I almost certain Birmingham City will be heavily fined for over recruiting students if stayce88's story is true.

I have checked more recent documents and it does seem that they reduced the bursary for 2010/11. Lifelong learning UK state that bursaries are administered by the learning provider, but the point about over-recruitment still stands as the universities' budget is worked out by the number of eligible students they have had over the last two years, which means they almost certainly knew they were over-recruiting.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 25

velovelo

there was talk about top up fees rising which is worrying because the bursary for primary is almost all spent on tuition fees as it stands. If the government decide to increase the top up fees or reduce the bursary i might have to do a GTP and where is the fun in that :mad:

? Much more fun to go back to uni. :biggrin:

Then on top of that people our age will have our retirement age pushed up to 70....

I'm off to France guys see ya! :woo:

Reply 26

velovelo

? Much more fun to go back to uni. :biggrin:

Then on top of that people our age will have our retirement age pushed up to 70....

I'm off to France guys see ya! :woo:

The training bursary is separate to tuition fees (and the maintenance grant), which you can get a loan for just like at undergraduate level. The training bursary is an incentive (like the golden hello was and still is in some subjects), but one that has become necessary for trainee teachers who often have higher living costs than most students, especially with regards to travel.

Reply 27

stayce88

[...] evantej - They sent me a list of subjects under the general heading of 'english, media studies and performing arts' which were entitled to the bursary, among them was photography (which is my specialist subject that i have my placement in) and graphic design (which is my secondary subject)
I put them both on the form we had to send back with a 3rd choice off the list of multimedia studies which is what I did at ND level.

But they just say they were allocated a limited number number of training bursaries and I was one of the people who didnt get one

The training provider either knows specifically or has a very, very good idea about the number of bursaries they will receive (i.e. what they said about 'limited number') for each year. Given that there are 15 students in secondary subject not receiving bursaries (yourself included) it is clear negligence; you could understand one or two (i.e. more people took up their offers than the university expected), but 15 people is a huge financial deficit (some training providers do not even offer 15 places in total while Birmingham over-recruited by 15 people!), and the manner in which they allocated the bursaries was ridiculous. They should have suggested that you 15 defer your places until next year at the very least; it honestly looks like they are trying to screw you on the assumption that the coalition will change funding, thus they will no longer be held accountable.

As I suggested before, contact Lifelong learning UK as soon as possible and explain your situation.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 28

stayce88

as i expected, passing the buck, nothing to do with them apparently

Mind copy and pasting the reply in here? It seems someone else is in your position.

Reply 29

alaskabear

Hi Stacy,

You must be on my course - see my post. I am also not getting a bursary - I will look out for you and perhaps we can do something collectively.

See you on Monday or Thursday.

Reply 30

alaskabear

I was also told that it was on a first come first served basis and the students who returned their forms earlier than me were successful. However, I returned my form on the day of receipt and having spoken to people on my course many left it to the last minute - something fishy is going on here. I suggest that we ask to see the records of application receipts????

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 31

The-Real-One

Out of interest. Are you filling in the student loans & grants application forms now for PGCE Sept 2011?

I am, yes. Are you?

Reply 32

Has the spending for 2011 been announced yet?

Reply 33

stayce88

What uni is this? Because i've just spoken to mine and she said she'd never heard of that and it's total rubbish - everyone should be entitled to it!

Reply 34

linkdapink

I know that the bursarys won't be announced until next week, but I thought I'd post in here to get some info. I'm on an MEC (so currently getting a bursary), but next year I'll be doing my PGCE. At the moment, I don't pay tuition fees, and don't get a student loan. Does anyone know what will happen with me next year? Will I have to pay the higher fees and be assessed along with the "new students" under the new government? And how would that even work?!

Reply 35

Hana_87

What uni is this? Because i've just spoken to mine and she said she'd never heard of that and it's total rubbish - everyone should be entitled to it!

She goes (or went) to Birmingham City; the university clearly over-recruited which is why some of the PGCE PCT students did not receive a training bursary.

Reply 36

linkdapink

Why can't you get a student loan?

Reply 37

evantej

She goes (or went) to Birmingham City; the university clearly over-recruited which is why some of the PGCE PCT students did not receive a training bursary.

But surely this is the universities fault not hers?

Reply 38

Hana_87

I am, yes. Are you?

No.. I have a conditional PGCE offer for Sept 2011, one of the conditions which is the succesful completion of a 6 month MEC (subject enhancement course) this year but my PGCE university haven't asked me to fill in any forms regarding funding.

Reply 39