Is your course intensity at least 50% of a full time course?
The rate at which you study is also known is the ‘intensity’ of your course. This figure is used to work out if you are eligible for financial support at all. For your course to be eligible, the intensity figure must be 50% or higher. To establish whether your course is at least 50% of an equivalent full-time course, it is necessary to calculate the intensity. This is worked out by dividing the number of years it normally takes to complete the equivalent full-time course by the number of years you will be studying the course part-time. Multiplying this figure by 100 will give you a percentage figure for the intensity of the course. For example, if your course would take 3 years full-time and it will take you 6 years to complete part-time, then your course intensity is 50%.
Am I eligible for a fee grant? How to calculate the intensity of your year of study.
The intensity for the year will be calculated by dividing the number of credits or modules a student would normally complete during a year on the equivalent full-time course by the number of credits or modules you will be studying in that year on your part-time course. Multiplying this figure by 100 will give you a percentage figure for the intensity of the year.
If you study between 50-59% of an equivalent full-time course, the maximum fee grant for the year is £785. If you study between 60-74% of an equivalent full-time course, the maximum fee grant is £945. If you study at an intensity of 75% or more of an equivalent full-time course, the maximum fee grant is £1,180. The grant is non-repayable.