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Opportunity Bursaries FAQs

Am I eligible?

In order to be eligible for the Oxford Opportunity Bursary (OOB) you should be a UK publicly funded undergraduate, PGCE or Graduate Entry Medical Student paying Variable Fees (£3,225 in 2009/10). Only those students eligible for Maintenance Support from the UK government are eligible for the scheme. Therefore, if you are reading for a second undergraduate degree, are from the Channel Islands or Isle of Man, are an EU or overseas student, you are very unlikely to be eligible.

Do I need to apply for the OOB?

There is no application process for the OOB, however you must be financially assessed in your application for UK government student support. We use this income data to calculate any bursary.  For more information about applying for support please visit our undergraduate funding pages

As part of this process you and any sponsor must have given their permission for the University to have access to your household income data. Once all the correct data is received by the University from the Student Loans Company, a letter will be issued to you indicating the amount of your OOB. The earliest a 2009 entrant will receive a letter will be the start of September 2009.

How much will I get?

For undergraduates and Graduate Entry Medical students the full bursary for 2009/10 is £3,225 and this is available to all students who have an assessed household income of less than £25,000. In addition, students whose assessed household income is less than £18,000 will receive a start-up payment (for the first term of the first year only) of £875. Students whose household income is assessed between £25,000 and £50,000 will receive between £3,225 and £200.

PGCE students receive a different level of funding to undergraduates to reflect the different financial packages available to them from the UK government. Details of the scheme for PGCE students are available.

No indication can be given of a student's potential OOB until their assessed household income is received and a letter issued.

When will I hear about a bursary?

Letters will be sent to eligible students from the start  of September.

If you have not heard from the University regarding your bursary by the 25th September please contact the Student Loans Company and check that they have your, and your parents/sponsors permission to share your household income information with the University. Once this permission has been given you should receive a letter within five days.

Please note we cannot enter into correspondence with students who have not received their bursary letter before this date.

 

When and how will I receive my OOB?

Provided all the necessary information is available you should receive your first OOB instalment from your college in the middle of the first term. There is one instalment paid per term.

How do I ensure I receive my OOB?

In order to be assessed for an OOB you must be financially assessed each year of your course through Student Finance England (England), Education and Library Board (Northern Ireland),  Student Awards Agency for Scotland (Scotland), or your Local Authority (Wales) . You can complete your application for funding either online or in paper format from March/April 2009. It is your responsibility to ensure your funding application is completed and you should aim to complete your application in good time for the new academic year to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. We recommend you complete the application form in line with the deadlines given, and as early as possible.

You should ensure that you and any sponsor give permission for the University to access your household income data. On the paper form the student and any sponsor must sign the relevant section - it is important that if students have more than one sponsor the permission of both must be given.

You must also ensure you enrol on time, no payment can be issued until you have confirmed your attendance at the University. If bank details are requested, these must be returned by the date specified in the award letter.

There have been instances where students, and their sponsors, have given the necessary permission but this has not been passed through. If you have not received a letter from the Student Funding Services by the start of the first term detailing your OOB amount and you believe you qualify for a bursary you can contact by email to establish that the necessary permissions have been given.

Will my OOB change during the year?

The University aims to pay students their OOB as soon as is possible. In order to do this we may award bursaries whilst your household income assessment is provisional. If your household income is reassessed or changed on finalisation your OOB will be changed to reflect this. However, a student will not be asked to repay an overpayment unless it has been received fraudulently.

Does the OOB stay the same throughout University?

Some first year students receive an extra start-up payment in their first year and therefore their bursaries in subsequent years will be lower, even if their household income assessment is the same.

Bursaries are calculated on each year's financial assessment and therefore will change with any change in the household income assessment.

Graduate Entry Medical students will only receive payment during their first year.

Do I receive my OOB during a year abroad?

Yes, as long as your household income still qualifies you for a bursary and you have completed all the necessary steps that you would have to do if you were in Oxford.

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