Fees, Funding and Disabled Students Allowance
At current fees, a full BA (Hons) Open degree with the Open College of the Arts costs £9,505.
Details of how this is divided up per level can be found below.
Foundations
£795
Per course
Level 1 (HE4)
£3,585
For the level
Level 2 (HE5)
£2,960
For the level
Level 3 (HE6)
£2,960
For the level
Level 1 (HE4) | £1,195 | All of the OCA's Level 1 (HE4) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you're studying towards an Open degree, you'll need three Level 1 (HE4) course units to gain the necessarry 120 credits to move on to Level 2 (HE5). Based on the 2016/17 fees, the whole of Level 1 (HE4) study costs £3,585. |
Level 2 (HE5) | £1,480 | All of the OCA's Level 2 (HE5) course units are worth 60 credits each. If you're studying towards an Open degree, you'll need two Level 2 (HE5) course units to gain the necessarry 120 credits to move on to Level 3 (HE6). Based on the 2016/17 fees, the whole of Level 2 (HE5) study costs £2,960. |
Level 3 (HE6) | £2,960 | OCA's Level 3 (HE6) course units hold differing amounts of credits depending upon the given Open degree pathway, and therefore are varied in cost. For individual pricing, please see the individual course unit pages on this website. |
The fees shown above apply to the academic year 2016/17, and the fees for subsequent academic years are subject to change based on funding, finance, inflation etc.
Foundations
£925
Per course
Level 1 (HE4)
£3,975
For the level
Level 2 (HE5)
£3,270
For the level
Level 3 (HE6)
£3,270
For the level
Level 1 (HE4) | £1,325 | All of the OCA's Level 1 (HE4) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you're studying towards a degree, you'll need three Level 1 (HE4) course units to gain the necessarry 120 credits to move on to Level 2 (HE5). Based on the 2016/17 fees, the whole of Level 1 (HE4) study costs £3,975. |
Level 2 (HE5) | £1,635 | All of the OCA's Level 2 (HE5) course units are worth 60 credits each. If you're studying towards a degree, you'll need two Level 2 (HE5) course units to gain the necessarry 120 credits to move on to Level 3 (HE6). Based on the 2016/17 fees, the whole of Level 2 (HE5) study costs £3,270. |
Level 3 (HE6) | £3,270 | OCA's Level 3 (HE6) course units hold differing amounts of credits depending upon the given degree pathway, and therefore are varied in cost. For individual pricing, please see the individual course unit pages on this website. |
The fees shown above apply to the academic year 2016/17, and the fees for subsequent academic years are subject to change based on funding, finance, inflation etc.
Fees
OCA’s course fees depend on where you live and the level of study.
For students in the UK all full levels of study are under £4000, but you do not need to pay for the full level. You pay your course fees as you go along.
The level 1 (HE4) course unit fee is £1,195 in the UK, £1,325 elsewhere in the EU and rest of the world. A deposit and instalment option is available for which a £50 fee is included in the deposit you pay.
The course fees for individual course units can be found on this website. When you’re ready to enrol on a course, you can do so through this website through the course pages by selecting your payment method and following the on-screen instructions to enrol and make payment.
If you wish to enrol on an Open degree, you can submit your initial application through a form at the bottom of the relevant degree page (through the ‘Open Degrees’ menu above), or call the college on 0800 731 2116 to speak to a member of the Head Office team.
Loans and grants
Student Finance help is targeted at first time undergraduates. The arrangements depend on where you live. The higher education provider for all applications for loans or grants is the University for the Creative Arts (UCA). You should therefore complete the application forms naming the University for the Creative Arts as UCA awards Open degrees.
England
Students from England are able to apply for a part-time Tuition Fee Loan to study with the OCA. The Tuition Fee Loan isn’t based on household income and there’s no upper age limit for applying.
Please state the University for the Creative Arts as the higher education provider when you make your part-time funding application.
Northern Ireland
Students from Northern Ireland may apply for a part-time Tuition Fee Loan from 1 August 2017 provided you are studying an average course intensity of at least 25%.
Low income students may apply for a Tuition Fee Grant and Course Grant provided you are studying an average course intensity of at least 25%. If your course fees are higher than the Fee Grant award, students will be able to apply for a top-up Student Loan.
Please state the University for the Creative Arts as the higher education provider when you make your part-time funding application.
The following website contain further information and the relevant application forms:
Student Finance Northern IrelandWales
Students from Wales are able to apply for a part-time Tuition Fee Loan to study with the OCA provided you are studying an average course intensity of at least 25%. Depending on your household income, you may also be able to apply for a Course Grant provided you are studying an average course intensity of at least 50%.
Please state the University for the Creative Arts as the higher education provider when you make your part-time funding application.
The following website contain further information and the relevant application forms:
If you have any questions about the OCA arrangements, please speak to Dee Whitmore, who can be contacted via our Freephone number 0800 731 2116.
Student Finance FAQs
For students to be eligible for SLC funding, they must be studying a designated course. Courses at this college are designated for 2015/16 and redesignated each year by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. We expect this process to be complete for 2016/17 by early 2016. Visit http://www.hefce.ac.uk/reg/
What should I do if I want to apply?
If you are applying to Student Finance England, download the PTL1 application form from their website and complete it to the best of your ability – you may need to contact OCA to determine the tuition fees for the year. Once completed, forward the form to the funding body.
Once your funding is approved, you will receive written notification. Send a copy of your letter of entitlement, together with an Enrolment Form specifying both the Open degree for which you are applying and the course units you wish to be enrolled on in the current funding year, to Dee Whitmore at OCA Head Office.
If you are in Wales or Northern Ireland download the PTG1 form from the relevant website.. Complete the forms and send these, together with the supporting documentation (e.g. P60, benefit entitlement letter, Birth Certificate etc) to Dee Whitmore at OCA Head Office. You should also send your Enrolment Form, specifying both the Open degree for which you are applying and the course units you wish to be enrolled on in the current funding year. Once we have received your documentation, we will fill in Section 6 (reserved for the course provider) and then send it off to the relevant Student Finance scheme.
Can I still apply if I am already part way through my Open degree?
Yes. You may apply for Student Finance up to 9 months after the start of your course in any funding year.
Is there anyone I can speak to with further queries?
We strongly recommend that you look at the relevant Student Finance website first. However, if you have any questions about the OCA arrangements, please speak to Dee Whitmore, who can be contacted via our Freephone number 0800 731 2116.
Disabled Students Allowances
Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are provided by the government to students on an individual basis to help overcome the barriers that a disabled student may face because of their disability when accessing higher education.
This can include long term health conditions, mental health conditions and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. You can check your eligibility and see more information here:- https://www.gov.uk/
Support varies on the individual but can include supportive technology and software, ergonomic equipment, and non-medical helpers.
This is available to Open degree students only. If you are a personal development learner you may wish to discuss any concerns that you have with our Learner Support Adviser before enrolling.
We strongly recommend that students apply for DSAs before enrolling on your Open degree, as it can take some time to put in place the support you are awarded.
To apply, you will need to complete a ‘DSA1 full’ form which can be found here along with the relevant guidance notes. There is a section on the form for OCA to complete so you will need to send it to us once you have filled it in.
If you have any questions please speak to Lia Harness, who can be contacted via our Freephone number 0800 731 2116.
OCA’s Learner Support Scheme
The OCA has a Learner Support Scheme which can provide partial bursaries towards course fees for students who are not eligible for funding via Student Finance. Please check if you are eligible for funding via Student Finance (see above: Loans and Grants) before applying to the Learner Support Scheme.
The scheme is part of the OCA’s charitable purpose and commitment to equality of opportunity. We receive no state funding at all (unlike UK universities, including the Open University) but the Trustees have nevertheless set aside an annual sum to be allocated through the Fund.
The scheme is based on financial hardship and you will be required to provide evidence of your household income and some samples of your work.
When your completed form is received, the scheme administrator will review it to check there is nothing missing. You may be contacted at this point to rectify any gaps. This will ensure that the committee has a complete picture when it comes to making their decision.
Funding is applied for on a unit by unit basis only, and once the budget for the year has been allocated, potential applicants would have to wait until the beginning of the new academic year (1 September each year).
Please contact Student Services via our Freephone number 0800 731 2116 to discuss making an application.
