Tuition Fees

By studying at Furness College, you have the prospect of gaining a degree validated by one of the UK’s top universities, all without the added financial costs of living away from home.

As the largest provider of education and skills training in Cumbria studying with Furness College can offer you a wide range of benefits:

• Over thirty years’ experience of providing university education (over 500 Furness College students studied university level courses in 2016/17
• Learn-while-you-work, thereby reducing costs and loans
• University qualifications which are validated by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), the University of Cumbria, Lancaster University or Edexcel
• Accreditation by the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET) and Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
• University qualifications which are relevant to future employment opportunities
• Small group sizes which are friendly and supportive and help to improve confidence
• Courses which fit around the workplace and a busy home life
• Reduced transport costs
• A network of support including personal tutors and additional support
• High standards of tuition
• Excellent training resources which meet industrial/commercial standards
• Progression routes to honours degree courses or employment
• Superb facilities including several IT suites with subject specific software
• Resource Centre with quiet study areas, resources and computers

Tuition fee loans, that cover the full amount of tuition fee costs, are available to eligible full-time and part-time students. The tuition fee loan is not income assessed. You can apply online for student finance.

You will not start to make repayments until you earn over £25,000 a year. You repay 9% of your income above £25,000 – the amount you repay depends on the amount you earn after you have completed your course. Any outstanding balance is written off after 30 years.

Other payment options

• Our Finance team can help assist you set up a payment plan to cover your course fees.
• If an employer is to pay your course fees, we will need written confirmation on letter headed paper.
• Discuss with your employer if you could use the Apprenticeship Levy to pay for a Higher or Degree apprenticeship.

For further information on either of these options, please contact Student Services on 01229 844839 / 844815.

Furness College Bursary

The Furness College Bursary is to enable students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study at University level. Successful applicants, who are awarded a bursary, will receive:

• Full time students – a benefit of no less than £2,000 (max £1,000 cash, fee waiver of up to £1,000).
• Part time students – an award for tuition fee waiver (studying a minimum of 25% intensity of the full time equivalent), and a cash benefit pro rata.

Click here for the Higher Education Furness College Bursary Application 2020 – 2021

Maintenance Loan

The maintenance loan is available to full-time students only. You may have to give details of your household income. EU students can’t apply for Maintenance Loans. The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of term. You have to pay the loan back.

Other financial help includes:

• Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
• Childcare Grant
• Parents’ Learning Allowance
• Adult Dependants’ Grant

Student Finance Calculator

Get a quick estimate of what student loans, grants, bursaries and other funding you could get.

Ørsted Scholarship

The Ørsted Scholarship fund is targeted at non-traditional entrants to education and training in the Engineering sector. Priority groups include, but are not limited to, underrepresented groups such as the unemployed and adult learners looking to retrain or re-engage in learning.

Applicants may also come from within the local small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) engineering \ manufacturing supply chain, with employees working within SMEs eligible to apply.  The funds intention is to support applicants from SMEs companies who otherwise would not be able to cover the training cost themselves.

The identified courses are:

Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Level 5 B.Eng. Ordinary Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Level 6 B.Eng. Honours Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this fund is to offer successful applicants full course fee sponsorship to access the range of courses identified above. Each course has a set of minimum entry requirements which potential applicants must be able to satisfy in order to access the course.

Through its mainstream funding options, Furness College delivers a number of recognised training courses which are specifically chosen to equip local people with the skills required to work within the Energy, Engineering, and Manufacturing industries and, where appropriate, applicants will be directed to these in the first instance.

However, outside of the traditional fully funded models all applicants will be considered.  Where applications exceed the availability of places the college will allocate places based on the principle and intention of the fund, with Ørsted looking to support people across Furness who would not otherwise be able to finance themselves through qualifications. Competitive interview and selection will be used where appropriate, the college’s decision is final.

Further information for each course including the entry requirements can be found at:

BTEC Diploma Electrical

BTEC Diploma Mechanical

HNC Electrical

HNC Mechanical

BEng Ordinary & Honours Electrical

BEng Ordinary & Honours Mechanical

All application forms must be submitted by 31/08/2019.  Applications to the college must be marked for the attention of Kate Colebourn, Head of Area for Technical and Build Engineering, Furness College, Channelside, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 2PJ, or via email kate.colebourn@furness.ac.uk

The funding for this scholarship programme is provided by Ørsted through the Walney Extension Community Fund.