National Scholarship Programme 2013–14
The National Scholarship Programme has been set up to support undergraduate students from low income households with a package of financial support worth £3,000.
The scheme is jointly funded by the government and the University, and we will be awarding 1,164 National Scholarships to students entering in the 2013-2014 academic year. National Scholarships are for the first year only and subject to eligibility criteria and assessment.
How much is the NSP award?
Full-time undergraduate students will receive a package worth £3,000. This is made up of a £1,500 fee waiver (reducing the first year fee to £7,500), £1,000 in cash and £500 which can be allocated to a choice of options.
The options for how to use the £500 student choice allocation are to
- reduce your first year accommodation costs
- spend on products and services within the University
- top up your fee waiver
EU and part-time students are eligible for the fee-waiver element only and this will be awarded on a pro-rata basis.
Am I eligible for this new award?
The government has specified eligibility criteria, such as a household income of £25,000 or less. These criteria have been combined with additional requirements set by the University. To be considered for Sheffield Hallam's NSP award you must be
- ordinarily resident in England*
- liable to pay the University's 2013–14 tuition fee of £9,000 (part-time students will pay a proportion of this fee)
- a new entrant to HE studying a full-time or part-time undergraduate course starting university in 2013
- from a low income household, defined as one with a residual income of £25,000** or less
Priority is also being given to Looked After Children and adults entering higher education through an Access to HE qualification.
The University wants to encourage participation in higher education by ensuring the scholarships are distributed to students in greatest need. To help us achieve this, we have developed a scoring system which awards points, weighted against these criteria and priority groups. This is designed to ensure the 1,164 students with the highest scores receive the NSP award.
*The government has decided that NSP awards are not available to students who are normally resident in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. EU and part-time students are only eligible for the fee waiver element of the award, on a pro rata basis.
**Residual income is based on gross household income (before tax and national insurance) minus certain allowable deductions. These can include pension payments, which are eligible for certain specified tax relief, and allowances for other dependent children. For further information about this definition and how income is assessed, please visit the Student Finance England website.
A new entrant to HE (Higher Education) is a student who is applying to study an undergraduate qualification for the first time.
The following students are not eligible for the National Scholarship Programme
- NHS-funded students
- students continuing directly from one course to another in 2013 (for example from foundation degree or HND to final year of an honours degree)
- postgraduate students
- part-time students who are studying less than 25% intensity of the equivalent full-time course
- students whose fees are paid in whole or part through sponsorship (for example by their employer)
- students who are ordinarily resident in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
How do we assess your score?
If you are a full-time undergraduate student, we will calculate your points score using information taken from your UCAS application and your household income details verified by Student Finance England.
So that Student Finance England can verify your household income details, we advise you to apply for a means-tested student finance assessment as soon as possible. The University will require your application to be completed and approved by Student Finance England by the end of May 2013 for you to be considered for the scholarship.
Please ensure you supply all documentation to Student Finance England, indicate that your university is Sheffield Hallam University, and give your consent to share this information with the University. This will help us assess and verify your income at the earliest opportunity.
If you are a part-time student, we will require you to complete an application form (PDF 110KB) before the start of your course and provide evidence of your household income, which can be checked by our Student Financial Support Office.
There is a separate application form for EU students (PDF 110KB).
When will I know if I have qualified for an NSP award?
Provided your student finance application has been completed and approved by the end of May 2013, we expect our assessment and verification of income will be completed during the summer to enable the University to offer you a scholarship in early September 2013 at the start of your course. The scholarship is subject to enrolment at the University and conditions apply to payment of the cash bursary.
If you are a part-time or EU student and applying for the NSP, you can apply until 23 August 2013 however we advise you to apply as early as possible.
If you are a new full-time undergraduate student and you meet the National Scholarship Programme criteria, but are not awarded one of the 1,164 scholarships, you will qualify for our Sheffield Hallam £500 bursary instead.
Further advice
For further information contact Student Financial Support on 0114 225 2184, email sfs@shu.ac.uk
More finance information
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