The new National Scholarship Programme 2012–13
Sheffield Hallam University is participating in the government's new National Scholarship Programme (NSP), which is being launched in 2012–13. The NSP scheme has been set up to support 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 560 National Scholarships to students entering in the 2012–2013 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 students will receive a £2,000 fee-waiver, reducing their first year fees to £6,500, and a £1,000 cash bursary. This is the maximum amount allowed by the government. Funding will be awarded to part-time students 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 2012/13 tuition fee of £8,500 (part-time students will pay a proportion of this fee)
- a new full-time or part-time undergraduate student starting university in 2012
- 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 560 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. Part-time students are only eligible for the fee waiver element of the award – on a pro rata basis.
What is residual household income?
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.
The following students are not eligible for the National Scholarship Programme
- NHS funded students
- students continuing directly from one course to another in 2012 (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 per cent 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 and Northern Ireland
EU and part-time students are only eligible for the fee waiver element of the award.
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 31 May 2012 for you to be considered for the scholarship.
Please ensure all documentation is supplied to Student Finance England and that you indicate 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 before the start of your course and provide evidence of your household income, which can be checked by our Student Financial Support Centre. The application form and guidance notes will be available to download from this website from early 2012.
When will I know if I have qualified for a NSP award?
Provided your student finance application has been completed and approved by 31 May 2012, we expect our assessment and verification of income will be completed during the summer to enable the University to offer you a scholarship in late July or August 2012. The scholarship is subject to enrolment at the University and conditions apply to payment of the cash bursary.
If are a new full-time undergraduate student and you meet the National Scholarship Programme criteria, but are not awarded one of the 560 scholarships, you will qualify for our Sheffield Hallam £500 bursary instead.
Further advice
For further information contact Student Financial Support on 0114 225 2184.
More finance information
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