PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

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moleseymum
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PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by moleseymum »

Thought I would make a separate post rather than get lost in the auditioning thread. PPA announced today that their degree courses will be eligible for student loan funding for September 2018 entry. From the website it looks like entire fees will be covered by the loan.
chivers61
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by chivers61 »

That's good news. Not sure though on your last point? The BA fees are £10,500 for those who started in September 2017 I think. Unless they're reducing them which is a bit of a bummer for those who started the BA this year or include 2016 which was the first year they offered it.
moleseymum
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by moleseymum »

chivers61 wrote: Not sure though on your last point?
When we were looking 2 years ago it was often the case that the student loan would only cover £6000 a year at private colleges offering a BA meaning there could still be a significant shortfall. This doesn't seem to be the case here even though PPA is a private college, presumably all to do with how the link with the validating institution is set up.
chivers61
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by chivers61 »

moleseymum wrote:
chivers61 wrote: Not sure though on your last point?
When we were looking 2 years ago it was often the case that the student loan would only cover £6000 a year at private colleges offering a BA meaning there could still be a significant shortfall. This doesn't seem to be the case here even though PPA is a private college, presumably all to do with how the link with the validating institution is set up.
That's the case for some colleges. My point with PPA is that I'm fairly sure the fees this year are £10,500 for the BA and the max loan is £9,000 or £9,250 so unless they reduce the fees for next year it won't be fully funded. They may do that though.
lawn
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by lawn »

chivers61 wrote:
moleseymum wrote:
chivers61 wrote: Not sure though on your last point?
When we were looking 2 years ago it was often the case that the student loan would only cover £6000 a year at private colleges offering a BA meaning there could still be a significant shortfall. This doesn't seem to be the case here even though PPA is a private college, presumably all to do with how the link with the validating institution is set up.
That's the case for some colleges. My point with PPA is that I'm fairly sure the fees this year are £10,500 for the BA and the max loan is £9,000 or £9,250 so unless they reduce the fees for next year it won't be fully funded. They may do that though.
I've just had a quick look at their webiste. They state the fees for for a BA are £9250.
(I should really be getting ready for work though, so might have missed something :oops: )
moleseymum
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by moleseymum »

chivers61 wrote:
That's the case for some colleges. My point with PPA is that I'm fairly sure the fees this year are £10,500 for the BA and the max loan is £9,000 or £9,250 so unless they reduce the fees for next year it won't be fully funded. They may do that though.
Oh, I understand what you meant now, I hadn't even considered students that have already started being able to apply - can you apply after the first or second year of a course? Yes, I believe the degree is £10,500 this year but I think that includes what now are 'top up' options on the fees page costing £1250 a year from memory which would effectively account for the difference.
Robin64
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by Robin64 »

I have looked at PPA website and I must say I think that optional top up thing is really odd. For an extra £1200 ish you get the things you should be getting anyway. Very divisive too. Why not just say the course costs £10, 500. "Oh you can't be in this show because you didn't pay the top up" For this reason, I'm out (said in dragons den voice). Also fees were not easy to find on the website, I had to google the fees separately. Not keen on lack of transparency and attempts to bamboozle with layers of expense.
If anyone wants to convince me please do as DD is deciding where to apply for a degree.
lbm1e14
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by lbm1e14 »

Robin64 wrote:I have looked at PPA website and I must say I think that optional top up thing is really odd. For an extra £1200 ish you get the things you should be getting anyway. Very divisive too. Why not just say the course costs £10, 500. "Oh you can't be in this show because you didn't pay the top up" For this reason, I'm out (said in dragons den voice). Also fees were not easy to find on the website, I had to google the fees separately. Not keen on lack of transparency and attempts to bamboozle with layers of expense.
If anyone wants to convince me please do as DD is deciding where to apply for a degree.
You beat me to it. The extras aren't extras, they're minimum requirements if you want to end up on stage performing rather than just wanting a BA. So not optional at all. I suspect it may be something to do with the set up for getting funding and not being private like the colleges which only attract £6k loans but fees are well more than £9,250. PPA may not be allowed to charge more. Interestingly the BA students who started in 2017 are all paying £10,500 with no loans. Also interesting that they guarantee representation with the in-house agency which I imagine is for a year only. I wonder how successful they are at getting the real deal i.e. external agency representation.
dancemom43
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by dancemom43 »

lbm1e14 wrote:
Robin64 wrote:I have looked at PPA website and I must say I think that optional top up thing is really odd. For an extra £1200 ish you get the things you should be getting anyway. Very divisive too. Why not just say the course costs £10, 500. "Oh you can't be in this show because you didn't pay the top up" For this reason, I'm out (said in dragons den voice). Also fees were not easy to find on the website, I had to google the fees separately. Not keen on lack of transparency and attempts to bamboozle with layers of expense.
If anyone wants to convince me please do as DD is deciding where to apply for a degree.
You beat me to it. The extras aren't extras, they're minimum requirements if you want to end up on stage performing rather than just wanting a BA. So not optional at all. I suspect it may be something to do with the set up for getting funding and not being private like the colleges which only attract £6k loans but fees are well more than £9,250. PPA may not be allowed to charge more. Interestingly the BA students who started in 2017 are all paying £10,500 with no loans. Also interesting that they guarantee representation with the in-house agency which I imagine is for a year only. I wonder how successful they are at getting the real deal i.e. external agency representation.
My DD decided against applying here as wanted a more well known name but we did go for a one to one tour with the Head and she seemed very nice. The facilities were good (new and clean but small unit on an Industrial estate). Also Guildford is a nice town to live in. The hours I seem to remember did not exceed about 5 pm as they understood students needed to work too. We know a Lad that went here and he has been touring with a well known musical for the last 12 months. There was also a lad with an amazing voice that was practising his song for the Bat out of Hell musical - he had been short listed - his voice was good but the singing teacher even better, so they clearly give help where they can with auditions. Not sure about agents.
Last edited by dancemom43 on Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
dancemom43
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by dancemom43 »

Think PPA would be good for a student that would not feel happy in a larger school with a big intake.
Robin64
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by Robin64 »

dancemom43 wrote:Think PPA would be good for a student that would not feel happy in a larger school with a big intake.
Not for DD then. She loves it at Bird and going somewhere smaller would be disappointing. She has a list of 4 to audition at but there doesn't seem to be any others to try. Want a funded degree without a top up if possible.
dancemom43
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by dancemom43 »

Robin64 wrote:
dancemom43 wrote:Think PPA would be good for a student that would not feel happy in a larger school with a big intake.
Not for DD then. She loves it at Bird and going somewhere smaller would be disappointing. She has a list of 4 to audition at but there doesn't seem to be any others to try. Want a funded degree without a top up if possible.
Are you considering Performers as was impressed there and I believe are starting a degree ?
Robin64
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by Robin64 »

dancemom43 wrote:
Robin64 wrote:
dancemom43 wrote:Think PPA would be good for a student that would not feel happy in a larger school with a big intake.
Not for DD then. She loves it at Bird and going somewhere smaller would be disappointing. She has a list of 4 to audition at but there doesn't seem to be any others to try. Want a funded degree without a top up if possible.
Are you considering Performers as was impressed there and I believe are starting a degree ?
No, but it might be worth us looking at. On first look at the website I have reservations in that the degree is very new and there are no details of fees that I can see but willing to see what transpires as they say they will be updating the website with more info on the degree.
moleseymum
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by moleseymum »

Robin64 wrote:I have looked at PPA website and I must say I think that optional top up thing is really odd. For an extra £1200 ish you get the things you should be getting anyway. Very divisive too. Why not just say the course costs £10, 500. "Oh you can't be in this show because you didn't pay the top up" For this reason, I'm out (said in dragons den voice). Also fees were not easy to find on the website, I had to google the fees separately. Not keen on lack of transparency and attempts to bamboozle with layers of expense.
If anyone wants to convince me please do as DD is deciding where to apply for a degree.
I do think the fees for next year are described in a slightly odd way due to student loan requirements, but I agree it could possibly have been done differently if time allowed. I had no issues finding them on the website. And £10,500 is less than many others.

50% of second years are going into professional panto contracts this year through the in house agency, representation through them is whilst at college and after if required but from what I have seen most are represented elsewhere after graduating.

PPA actually has 2 sites in Guildford, pastoral care is second to none and their audition day is generally considered good value. All third year students are allocated a mentor from within the industry, something I have not come across from other colleges. Core day is 8am to 5.20pm, this obviously changes if rehearsals are in progress but there is an acknowledgement that students need a balance to work etc.

It was DS first choice on his first round of auditions but funding was an issue so he took a year out to work and save and was successful second time, and is now in his second year.

Nobody can convince you, you need to find the place that your DC thinks they will be happiest at.
Robin64
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Re: PPA student loan funding for 2018 entry

Post by Robin64 »

I just meant convince us to audition not go there. It does sound caring which is good. Some colleges are very clear with the fees on their websites and some are not. I just really do not like their fee set up with top up. Maybe they will change it in future. Yes they are not the most expensive college but unfortunately all the top up degree colleges will be off the audition list. Its expensive enough topping up living costs without extra fee top ups and we are also helping out our eldest with uni living expenses because her maintenance loan doesn't even cover her rent.
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