Happy Student Finance Day 2012, a national day dedicated to explaining the changes to student finance in England.
The event is headed by consumer campaigner Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExpert.com and follows last year’s campaign which sees universities, schools and colleges in England working together to ensure prospective students, their parents, teachers and the media all understand the new student finance system in England – and to flag up that university study remains affordable.
“Part-time study could be a more attractive option for some still wavering about whether to go to university. Part-time degrees also give people more flexibility to allow them to study and hold down a job at the same time.”
Lucian Hudson, Director of Communications at the OU, said: "The way students will pay for their education in England has undergone massive change and we are getting behind Student Finance Day to clarify just what this means. The biggest change is that new part-time students will not have to pay fees upfront as, for the first time, many of them will be eligible for the Government’s student loans.
“In addition, The Open University still has its own unique OUSBA credit system in place which enables students to pay their fees in instalments, and on a module-by-module basis, throughout the course of their studies. And we continue to work hard to support those from disadvantaged backgrounds to access higher education; for students in England with a household income of less than £25k and who have not studied at university-level before, we have our Access to Success Route to help take their first steps at university.
“The OU specialises in being flexible and providing students with the same flexibility to pay the costs of their higher education. We recognise that in the new fees world providing students with as much choice and indeed clarity on that choice is key to helping them make crucial decisions about their future.”
While Student Finance Day focuses on the different funding options available to students in England, the OU has students right across the UK and internationally.
More information on the financial options available outside of England is available on our Ways to Pay page.
- Student blogger Carrie Walton on why study doesn’t have to be expensive
- Find out how new student Tracey is managing her finances
- Open University ways to pay
- Open University Student Budget Account
- Four easy steps to register for an OU qualification
- Financial support for study - Access to Success
- Student Finance 2012 website
- Part-time students’ guide
- Study with the OU
- Student Finance England’s, studying part-time
- Student Finance Day 2012 on Twitter – follow @sfdEngland2012 for updates or #studentfinanceday2012 or #OU_finance
- Try the part-time student finance calculator (below)
