Frequently Asked Questions
Students applying for 2011 entry
Will I be affected by new tuition fees for 2012?
No, if you enrol at the Royal Veterinary College in 2011 you will pay tuition fees of £3,375 during your first year and will continue to pay at this rate (subject to small annual increments) for the remainder of your undergraduate degree. You will not be affected by the new tuition fees. The new tuition fees relate to students entering university from 2012 onwards.
What happens if I decide to defer my entry to 2012?
If you decide to take a gap year and defer your entry to the Royal Veterinary College from 2011 to 2012, you will be subject to the new fee structure and be charged the higher fees.
Students applying for 2012 entry onwards
What will the Royal Veterinary College charge from 2012?
From 2012 the RVC will charge a range of variable fees between £7,500 and £9,000 a year for Home/EU undergraduates starting programmes, subject to approval of a new access agreement with OFFA (the Office for Fair Access). This will better enable us to direct resources at widening participation, fair access and improving the student experience. As part of these new arrangements we will be developing a new package of fee waivers and bursaries to encourage more applications from less well off students. It is important that students can come and study at the RVC whatever their family background.
Why have we decided to charge £7,500 and £9,000?
The fees increase has to be seen in the context of the massive withdrawal of funding for teaching paid directly to Universities. We believe the government’s support arrangements together with our own arrangements for fee waivers and bursaries will provide suitable support for students from less well off backgrounds. The national tuition fee repayment arrangements are also favourable for those students who do not go on to earn high incomes. Extra funds generated from higher tuition fees will be directed at further improving the student experience here at the RVC.
Why do fees need to increase?
The government has imposed cuts across most areas of public spending, including Universities/Colleges. The likely effect on Higher Education is a reduction in funding for teaching of around 75% over a three year period beginning in 2012. The government has therefore transferred more of the cost of teaching on to graduates.
Is there any extra support for students from low-income families?
Universities wanting to charge more than £6,000 will have to set out measures to recruit students from low income backgrounds - and also to support them when they are studying. This will take the form of means-tested bursaries and fee waivers, with each university offering its own individual method.
What more can I expect to get for the increase in fees?
The Royal Veterinary College is committed to continue updating and refurbishing existing facilities, whilst also investing in new state-of-the-art facilities. We are already working with our students to identify priorities for investing in the student experience.
What has the government decided on fees?
A threshold of £6,000 and absolute cap of £9,000 has been set for home graduate contributions from 2012. The decision is an adaption of recommendations originally made in the Browne Review of student funding which was published in October 2010. They do not affect international students. The guiding principle of students not having to pay up front has been retained. Graduates will repay the cost of their education only when they are employed and earning above £21,000. Repayment rates on loans will be at 9% of salary over £21,000. Debt will be forgiven after 30 years. The proposals are progressive and only about 30% of students are estimated to pay their whole fee off through repayments. Part-time support will be made available on the same pro rata basis as full-time with eligibility starting at 25%.
What support will be available for students?
The government will lend any qualified student the money to pay their university or college for tuition costs. For the first time, part-time students will benefit from a loan and no longer forced to pay up-front costs, so long as they are studying for at least 25% of their time. A new £150m National Scholarships Programme will be targeted at bright potential students from less well off backgrounds. It will guarantee students benefits such as a free first year or foundation year. Students from families with incomes of up to £25,000 will benefit from a non-repayable maintenance grant of up to £3,250 and those from families with incomes up to £42,600 will benefit from a partial grant. Maintenance loans will be available to all qualified full time students irrespective of income. For detailed information refer to www.bis.gov.uk/studentfinance
What have universities had to do to charge more than £6,000?
Widening participation will be central to allowing universities to charge in excess of £6,000. Universities have had to agree new access agreements with OFFA (the Office for Fair Access) including outreach, scholarships and bursaries. OFFA will have the power to redirect fee income to force more widening participation provision if targets are not reached. Universities will have to collect standard information on contact hours, employability and teaching patterns.
Will universities get more money?
Universities argue that much of the money raised from raising tuition fees will simply replace major cuts to teaching budgets. Teaching grant cuts of 6% for 2011-12 have already been announced, with a further 16% reduction the following year - although by then universities will be getting income from raised fees. Teaching-related capital funding for universities has also taken a hit - 54% in 2011-12. Cuts of 40% to the higher education budget over the next four years were announced in the spending review on 20 October 2010.
How are universities funded?
In the UK as a whole, income from fees - including fees paid directly by students such as postgraduates and overseas students - makes up about 29% of universities' total funding, which was £25.4bn in 2008/09. Another 35% comes from government funding bodies, while the rest comes from other sources such as research grants, endowments and investments.
In England, the balance of funding is going to change - with much of the cost of university courses switching from the taxpayer to the student.
What does the proposal mean for the rest of the UK?
The position for 2012 has yet to be confirmed for Scotland.
The Welsh Assembly has announced that fees will rise to £6,000 to £9,000, as in England, but the government will meet the extra cost to Welsh students studying at any UK university.
A review of the system in Northern Ireland is under way - it initially suggested maintaining the current fee cap, but the conclusion is now being reviewed.
Some of the material on this page is based on content previously published by The BBC, HEFCE and The Times Higher Education guide.
Latest News
Deadline!
Student Finance England (SFE) 2012/13
The deadline for submitting applications for Continuing Students is 29th June 2012
The deadline for submitting applications for New Students is 31st May 2012
- Apply online at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
- The sooner you apply, the sooner you’ll get your finance sorted