Views:

Undergraduate students

Undergraduate course students do not need to tell us about any changes to income. This is not considered in the bursary award.

Postgraduate students

If you're a postgraduate course student you could be considered for a reassessment if there's been a decrease in the income declared on your application.

This depends on the type of income and how much it decreased.

Your income from employment or self-employment

You do not need to tell us if you have any changes to the amount you're earning from employment or self-employment. This is not used when assessing your bursary award.

Your unearned income

Any decrease to your unearned income will only affect your award if the amount declared on your initial application affected your current entitlement.

If your unearned income has affected your award, your Notification of Award (NOA) will state you need to send evidence of your income. You must upload evidence of the change to your MyFunding account and include a covering letter to highlight the change. We’ll recalculate your award if needed.

If your NOA does not mention sending evidence of your income, you do not need to tell us about any decrease, as this will have no effect on your award.

Your spouse, partner, or civil partner's income

If you've already been awarded the maximum rates for the bursary elements you've applied for, you do not need to complete this form. This is because the decrease in income will not affect your award.

If you've applied for any of the income assessed elements of the bursary and your spouse, partner, or 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.

If there has been at least a 15% drop in their income over the whole of the current tax year you must tell us.

You must complete a change of circumstances form and upload evidence proving either:

  • their income for the full tax year
  • the income they've received before the change and the expected new income for the remainder of the tax year if this has not ended

If your current academic year award is reassessed based on their current tax year income, you must provide the income details current to the academic year in any further year’s applications as well.

Your adult dependant's income

If you've applied for Adult Dependants Allowance (ADA) and your dependant is not your spouse, partner, or 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 affected your current entitlement.

If their income has affected your award, your Notification of Award (NOA) will state you need to send evidence of their income. You must upload evidence of the change to your MyFunding account and include a covering letter to highlight the change. We’ll recalculate your award if needed.

If your NOA does not mention sending evidence of their income, you do not need to tell us about any decrease, as this will have no effect on your award.

Your child's income

If you've already been awarded the maximum rate of Parent's Learning Allowance (PLA), you do not need to complete this form as the decrease in income will not affect your award.

If you've applied for the 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.

If there has been at least a 15% drop in their income over the whole of the current tax year you must tell us.

You must complete a change of circumstances form and upload evidence proving either:

  • their income for the full tax year
  • the income they've received before the change and the expected new income for the remainder of the tax year if this has not ended

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.

This means, if you're studying in the 2024/25 academic year, the current tax year for possible reassessment purposes would be the 2024/25 financial tax year. This also means we are comparing the 2023/24 tax year declared on your application with the 2024/25 tax year to work out if there's been a decrease of 15% or more.