Undergraduate course students don't need to tell us about any changes to income as this isn't considered in the bursary award.
However, if you're a postgraduate course student you could be considered for a reassessment if there's been a decrease in income, depending on your circumstances.
Your unearned income
Only your unearned income is taken into account when assessing your award, therefore, you don't need to tell us if you have any changes to the amount you're earning from employment or self-employment.
Any decrease to your unearned income will only affect your award if the amount declared on your initial application was enough to affect your current entitlement.
If your unearned income has affected your award, your Notification of Award will state you need to send evidence of your income. You should upload evidence of the change to your MyFunding account and include a covering letter to highlight the change and we will recalculate your award, if applicable.
If your Notification of Award doesn't mention sending evidence of your income, you don't need to tell us about any decrease as this will have no effect on your award.
Your spouse / partner / civil partner's income
If you've applied for any of the income assessed elements of the bursary and your spouse / partner / civil partner's income has decreased you may be entitled to a reassessment.
To be considered their income must have dropped by at least 15% in total for the current tax year when compared to their total income in the tax year declared on your application. For example, if the decrease has only occurred towards the end of the current tax year, their income for the whole tax year may not have reduced by 15% or more.
If there has been, or is expected to be, at least a 15% drop in their income over the whole of the current tax year you can complete a 'Request for a current income assessment' form, available on your MyFunding account and upload this to your account. You must also upload evidence proving their income for the full tax year, or proving the income they've received prior to the change and the expected new income for the remainder of the tax year if this hasn't ended.
Please note, if you've already been awarded the maximum rates for the bursary elements you've applied for, there's no need to complete this form as the decrease in income won't have any effect on your award.
If your current academic year award is reassessed based on their current tax year income, you'll be required to provide the income details current to the academic year in any subsequent year applications as well.
Your adult dependant's income
If you've applied for the Adult Dependants Allowance (ADA) and your dependant isn't your spouse / partner / civil partner, their estimated income for your academic year may have been used in your assessment.
Any decrease to their income will only affect your award if the amount declared on your initial application was enough to affect your current entitlement.
If their income has affected your award, your Notification of Award will state you need to send evidence of their income. You should upload evidence of the change to your MyFunding account and include a covering letter to highlight the change and we will recalculate your award, if applicable.
If your Notification of Award doesn't mention sending evidence of their income, you don't need to tell us about any decrease as this will have no effect on your award.
Your child's income
If you've applied for the Parent's Learning Allowance (PLA) and your child had an income, such as receiving maintenance payments for them, you may be entitled to a reassessment if this income has decreased.
To be considered their income must have dropped by at least 15% in total for the current tax year when compared to their total income in the tax year declared on your application. For example, if the decrease has only occurred towards the end of the current tax year, their income for the whole tax year may not have reduced by 15% or more.
If there has been, or is expected to be, at least a 15% drop in their income over the whole of the current tax year you can tell us by completing the relevant sections of the application from your MyFunding account and uploading this to your account, you must include a covering letter to explain. You must also upload evidence proving their income for the full tax year, or proving the income they've received prior to the change and the expected new income for the remainder of the tax year if this hasn't ended.
Please note, if you've already been awarded the maximum rate of PLA there's no need to complete this form as the decrease in income won't have any effect on your award.
What's meant by the 'current tax year'?
The current tax year for reassessment purposes of your spouse / partner / civil partner or child's income is always the same one as the relevant academic year.
For example, if you're studying in the 2022/23 academic year, the current tax year for possible reassessment purposes would be the 2022/23 financial tax year. This means that in this same example, we would be comparing the 2021/2022 tax year declared on your application with the 2022/23 tax year to determine if there's been a 15% or more decrease.