▌The Open University: more options for your students
Have your students considered a course with the Open University (OU)? Here, they provide some first-hand expert guidance to help you inform students on what is available, what to expect and the opportunities it can provide.

The OU is the only university operating in all the nation states of the United Kingdom, receiving funding from four funding bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

An OU student perspective

An OU qualification comprises of a series of modules; each with an individual fee. Students study and pay for each module separately, although the student loan is combined for all study within the student’s seasonal academic year.

OU modules are available at various points throughout the year, meaning that students can start their courses in September, October, November, February, May or June.

OU students can study towards the same course for up to 16 years. Most students study at an average of 60 credits every year over six years for a 360 credit honours degree. This is broadly half the rate of full-time study intensity.

They may not know how much study they intend to complete during the year and therefore may not know how much loan to apply for. We recommend that students apply for the maximum loan; this enables them to make adjustments later in the year if their plans change.

Tuition fees include OU course materials, tutor support, assessment and exams, as well as access to other services, such as careers advice.

The part-time Tuition Fee Loan is the most popular way that OU students are currently funding their study – over 60% of our new students in England are paying this way. One difference with part-time study compared to full-time is that part-time students start repaying their loan in the April four years after the start of their qualification or the April after they leave, whichever comes first. This means that many part-time students are repaying loans before they have completed their OU course.

Whilst the student loan is the most popular route for new undergraduate students to finance their OU study, other options for payment are:

• Pay as you go – the university has a separate company which is registered to provide personal loans. The Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA) Ltd gives students the option of paying for study in instalments spread across the life of their modules. Unlike SLC loans, these are subject to credit and affordability tests.
• Pay up front – by credit or debit card when students register for each module.
• Employer sponsorship – around one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer. Many of these are sponsored directly, with the employer paying the fees on behalf of the student. In other cases, students pay up front and later claim money from their employer.

For more information visit www.open.ac.uk

In keeping with the university’s mission of widening participation and open access, the OU operates a number of assistance and fee support options:

• Students with limited prior higher-education experience, who are in receipt of certain benefits or whose income is less than £25,000, may be eligible for a free introductory Access module to build confidence and skills before moving on to full OU study.
• The OU offers discretionary financial assistance towards study-related costs, such as travel, childcare and internet access for students experiencing financial hardship or exceptional circumstances.
• The OU Students Association (OUSA) also offers a wide range of discretionary support via its student and alumni Educational Trust.

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