'No gimmicks' bursaries offer cash help for York students
Posted on 17 March 2005
From 2006, the University will offer bursaries of up to £1,400 a year to help students meet the rising costs of higher education. The lowest bursaries will be £600, more than twice the statutory minimum of £300.
A combination of a Government maintenance grant and a York bursary could give some students a total of £12,300 in financial support over a three-year course.
The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) announced today (17 March 2005) that it has approved the University of York's Access Agreement which will allow it to charge the full tuition fee of £3,000. The fees are paid after graduation and only when a graduate's salary is more than £15,000 a year.
The bursaries are a crucial element of the agreement and are designed to reinforce the University's efforts to encourage students from non-traditional backgrounds to enter higher education.
The University's Director of Admissions and Schools Liaison, Connie Cullen, said that every student who met the income criteria would receive the top-level York bursary, which will be available across all subjects. In contrast, some institutions were offering higher headline figures for bursaries, for which only a limited number of students could qualify.
"We feel we have put in place a robust system of student support which is based on need and is straightforward to understand," she said.
"It will enable students to see readily what sort of financial package the University of York is making available to them. Many universities are using student support to solve recruitment problems in less popular subjects. We have decided that the key issue is student need and that is where we are putting the support."
OFFA's agreement that York can charge higher fees will assist the University to address historic underfunding. It comes at an opportune moment as the University pursues ambitious plans to improve facilities and to expand the Heslington campus.
Connie Cullen said: "We are confident that the removal of upfront fees, together with higher levels of grants and loans, will benefit all students and will result in the number of applications for higher education continuing to increase.
"We understand students from disadvantaged backgrounds have been anxious that costs are rising but the financial support available is increasing even more."
Notes to editors:
University of York Bursaries
| Annual Family Income (Approx) |
Annual Government Maintenance Grant |
Annual York Bursary |
|---|---|---|
| Less than £15,000 |
£2,700 |
£1,400 |
| £15,000 - £21,000 |
£1,200 - £2,699 |
£1,000 |
| £21,000 - £33,000 |
£0 - £1,200 |
£600 |
| Over £33,000 |
Nil |
Nil |
- As part of the Access Agreement, the University of York will extend its well established programme of talks and events for schools and colleges.
- All approved access agreements can now be viewed on the OFFA web site www.offa.org.uk
- Today's announcement is based on 120 access agreements assessed by OFFA up to 4 March 2005.
- The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) is an independent, non departmental public body which aims to promote and safeguard fair access to higher education for under-represented groups in light of the introduction of variable tuition fees in 2006-07. OFFA is led by the Director of Fair Access, Sir Martin Harris. For more information visit www.offa.org.uk
- For further information on other forms of student support visit www.aimhigher.ac.uk