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HE Fees and Funding
Contents
Tuition fees
The amount of financial support provided to higher education students will depend on the programme you choose and if it is a full-time or part-time course. It will also depend whether you are a home, EU or an international student.
Fees and payment schedules
Information on fees and payment schedules can be found on our Policies, Procedures and Downloads page.
Additional costs
The University Centre South Essex provides an extensive range of classrooms and studios, hardware, software and technician support. A wide range of professional equipment is available for students’ use, making it possible to successfully follow the course of study without making additional significant personal investment in equipment - unless students choose to do so.
Whilst the University Centre tries to keep additional student costs to a minimum, there may be additional costs associated with your course. The cost of optional activities is not included in the tuition fee and students will need to meet this cost in addition to fees. A summary of the costs that students may need to budget for, while studying a course at the University Centre South Essex in the 2022-23 academic year are listed here.
Typically, at any university practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects.
Most courses have some specialist material available for students to use, however students will need to budget for the cost of specialist materials, equipment, stationary and printing beyond that provided. This spend will be between £50–£300 per year depending on individual requirements.
Most course books and a wide range of magazines and journals are available in the library. Students do not need to have their own copies, but if they wish to, students should budget up to £200 over the course to buy them.
Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning, with access to computers and necessary software across the University Centre, however some students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment. These may include cameras, or computers and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with academic and/or technical staff. The amount spent will depend on individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
Students will receive a printer allowance for standard A4/A3 printing £20 standard per Academic Year, some courses for, example Photography, may incur higher costs which are not included in the allowance (up to £500 based on previous student experience) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
On Engineering courses students are required to bring their own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Costs in the final year of study on a creative course are very likely to be higher than in earlier years as students bring together their final body of work and portfolio, students may need to budget between £200 and £1,000.
Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of the final project students may need to budget between £20–£1,000.
Students on placement will normally incur additional transport costs dependent on the location of the placement. For students on BA (Hons) Counselling, students will required to pay a sum for 30 hours of personal therapy, a sum for clinical supervision, a sum for appropriate personal indemnity insurance, and a sum for required membership of an industry regulatory body. Students on placement may also be required to pay a sum for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
For most courses there will be the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits, for example to galleries, exhibitions, and studios, museums of relevance to the curriculum, relevant exhibitions or conferences, court visits etc. These are optional and are not required to pass the course. The nature of the costs vary from provisions for a packed-lunch to flight and accommodation costs for international field trips.* The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken, and typically range between £30 and £1500 across the duration of the course. Students attending theatre performances will normally be asked to pay for the cost of their ticket.
*For the Academic Year 2022-23 students on BA (Hons) Digital Animation, BA (Hons) Film & TV Production and BSc (Hons) Games Design will have a residential trip built into their third year studies, Covid and other unforeseen restrictions permitting.
Further information
Please speak to our HE Support team for more information about fees and advice on international fee-paying status.
Student Finance
You can find out all about the financial support you are entitled to from the government at the following address: www.gov.uk/student-finance.
Tuition Fee and Living Cost loans are available from Student Finance England. The tuition fee loan is paid directly to the university and covers the cost of the course. The living cost loan (also referred to as a student loan or maintenance loan) is usually paid in three instalments directly into your bank account to help cover living costs including accommodation, food and course materials.
You can use the student finance calculator to find out how much you will be able to get from the government.
There is information on the Student Finance England website about how to apply, paying your student loan back, interest rates, additional support for students with special circumstances and much more. Student Finance England also share up to date information via their Twitter and Facebook pages.
Applying for student finance
We have created the following document to help you understand more about the process of applying for student finance.
To be eligible for a tuition fee loan you must fulfil certain criteria in regards to:
- UK residency status
- The university or college you are studying at and the course you are taking
- Previous higher education study (first-time students)
Regulations relating to Higher Education study
Please see below for regulations relating to Higher Education study at University Centre South Essex.
Advice and guidance
Our higher education support team is on-hand to provide advice and guidance on issues relating to study costs and financial support, including hardship funding.
Further information
If you require assistance with your application or more information please contact HE Support HESupport@southessex.ac.uk
Prior to starting your course, it is advisable to work out if this is financially viable, especially if you plan to give up work, or will lose benefits that you were previously eligible for. Before you do this you are advised to speak to the benefits agency to see how your benefits may be affected by enrolling onto a higher education course.
University Centre South Essex works with The Money Charity to assist students in understanding and managing their budgets. We recommend that you use their budget builder to help you prepare for university.
You can find the online tool here.
Student Finance England Contact Information
Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington DL1 9HJ
Telephone: 0300 100 0607
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0300 100 0607
Chat to one of our students
Success stories
Success Stories - Andy Wyatt
Course studied
Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing (2D CAD) Level 2 Award
My name is Andy Wyatt , I am 52 years old and I studied Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at South Essex College in 1984/5.
What did you study at South Essex College?
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design where I specialised in Photographic Arts and Moving Image.
What qualification did you receive?
I completed my foundation course at SEC and then went to study a BA in Filmmaking at Harrow School of Art which is now part of the University of Westminster.
What was your background before coming to the College to study?
I grew up in Chelmsford and studied A levels.
What have you done since completing your course?
After my degree I worked as an animator working on cartoons such as The Teenage Ninja Turtles and Duck Tales the Movie. I then joined a studio called Halas and Batchelor in London, followed by a studio called Honeycomb Animation where I became an Animation Director, animating and directing TV series including Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. I then moved to Bristol, setting up my own studio, creating animation for the internet before working as a series director at Aardman Animations.
I have also worked as an educator, helping to set up degree programmes in Universities, and now work as an ambassador in the UK and Ireland for Toon Boom Animation, a Canadian Animation technology company. I work with studios setting up their productions, which can be TV series, Feature films or games.
Why did you choose to study at South Essex College?
I was impressed by the staff, and the student work I saw at an exhibition. It’s also great to study in a seaside town!
I was impressed by the staff, and the student work I saw at an exhibition. It’s also great to study in a seaside town!
What is the best thing about doing further or higher education?
It really develops your creativity, and is life-changing in that you get to specialise in a subject that you really love, and get to meet friends for life. It helps you progress to a great career.
What skills did you gain / are you gaining that have proved valuable?
As well as creativity, you also become more professional, meeting deadlines which can be really stressful, but college gives you experience working as part of a team which should never be under estimated.
What is your favourite memory of being at the College?
Some great people, and I remember the pride from being part of the end of year show. The environment was inspiring too.
Why would you recommend South Essex College?
For the same reasons I went…really knowledgeable staff who develop you as a person. The facilities are also incredible.
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
I’ve been part of productions that have had two BAFTA nominations… unfortunately we did not win either time, but it is a great achievement to be nominated!
What are your ambitions for the future?
To continue working in Animation which is one of the most dynamic and constantly evolving industries….when I think how much it has changed just throughout my career, who knows what will happen in the future!
Did your time at the College help with other areas of life (such as gaining confidence or maybe a skill that has helped you to pursue a hobby)?
Definitely. It built my confidence and developed my ability to work as part of a team and probably made me a bit more competitive (in a good way!)
Where are you working now?
Director of Business Development for Toon Boom Animation
What does your job entail?
Working with studios in the UK and Ireland to develop new ideas for projects. I help them achieve the look and style of animation they want.
How did you progress to your current position?
It took all sorts of experience from all the various jobs I have had to give me the knowledge and experience I needed to do the job I do now.
How did your time at South Essex College help prepare you for the workplace?
It opened my eyes to the fact that there was a whole sector of work out there (the Creative Industries) for people like me who enjoyed art and design.
How does the equipment you used at College compare to that within industry?
Actually, it is as good, if not better. Many of the studios I worked for had very limited budgets and we had to use old machinery or computers, and the studios were often in freezing cold basements or boiling hot attics!! The college has the latest software and powerful machines and air-conditioned studios…quite a luxury compared to some of the places I have worked!
