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Good News! OCA degree students on low incomes may now qualify for Government funding

posted 17th August 2010

The OCA has now been confirmed as an approved degree provider by Student Finance England, SF Northern Ireland and hopefully SF Wales.

What type of funding is on offer?
The funding made available by these arrangements is an award, not a loan - hence does not have to be re-paid.

There are two elements to the grant, namely the fee grant – to help with course fees; and the course grant – to help with associated costs such as books, materials and travel.

Who is eligible?
Students must live in defined parts of the UK (see next section) and should not already hold a degree.

Eligibility depends on being registered on a full degree (i.e. BA Hons in Creative Arts, Painting or Photography). Simply registering for a single OCA course (module) – or even a level – will not be sufficient.

In order to qualify for support, part time HE courses must not take more than twice as long as the equivalent full time course to complete. Thus OCA students claiming Student Finance grants would have to complete their degree courses within 6 years. This does put a constraint on the OCA’s general position which is that students have up to two years to complete each course (module).

Does it matter where I live in the UK?
Yes, it does. Thus far, OCA has acquired Specific Designation status from Student Finance England and Northern Ireland. We are optimistic about obtaining similar status for students in Wales (but cannot guarantee this). However, due to the different funding arrangements for HE in Scotland, OCA students there are (sadly) not eligible.

How much grant funding might I receive?
As funding is means tested, the actual amount awarded is based on your own individual circumstances. In very general terms, where the household income is less than £16,845, both a fee grant and a course grant would probably be payable. At the other extreme, where household income is higher than £28,066 neither grant would be payable at all. There are several steps between these two positions, however. And it’s important to bear in mind that students will still be responsible for meeting the balance between the grant awarded and the OCA fees for the course (module).

Our understanding is that, where students are living with a partner, the partner's income is taken into account. However, where younger students are living at home with their parents, parental income is not part of the calculation.

Please note that all funding decisions will be taken by SFE, SFNI - and hopefully SFW - but not by OCA. The respective websites contain information on how the funding is assessed, so please look there first if you think you might be eligible.


For England, click here: Student Finance England.

Northern Ireland: Student Finance Northern Ireland

Wales: Student Finance Wales.


Is there any additional support for people with disabilities?
Yes, students with disabilities or additional needs may qualify for support via the Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs). See here: Disabled Student Allowances (DSAs)

Can I still apply if I am already part way through my degree with the OCA?
Yes. Even though grants cannot be back dated, those students already on full degree courses will be eligible to apply for Student Finance for the remaining courses (modules) on their degree programme.

Is there anyone I can speak to with further queries?
 We strongly recommend you to look at the relevant Student Finance website first; and please bear in mind that we cannot give you any promise that you will (or will not qualify), let alone give you an estimate as to how much you might qualify for. However, if you have any questions about the OCA arrangements, please speak to Lee Openshaw in the first instance, or - in his absence - Dee Whitmore. Both can be contacted via our Freephone number 0800 731 2116.

What should I do if I want to apply?
If you are confident about your eligibility, the starting point is to download the application form from the relevant Student Finance scheme. You should then complete as much of the form as you can and send this, together with the supporting documentation, to Lee Openshaw at OCA head office. You should also send your OCA enrolment form, and specify not only the degree (e.g. BA Hons Painting) for which you are applying, but also the specific modules you are proposing to study at each level.

Once we have received your papers, we will fill in Section 6 (reserved for the course provider) and then send it off to the relevant Student Finance scheme. We will put more detail on the application process on the OCA website as this becomes available.