A new financial support initiative from The Open University in Scotland is set to give a significant boost to skills development in the priority areas of maths, computing, science and technology.
The new support unveiled today will give people up to £300 towards the cost of studying part-time with the OU, including help with course fees in all OU subject areas.
Two types of funding will be available from The Open University for undergraduate courses beginning between August 2007 and July 2008:
• £200 towards the cost of most OU courses for people with a household income of up to £30,000 (more for those with dependents)
• Up to £100 towards the cost of most OU maths, computing, science and technology courses, open to everyone
The Open University’s Scottish Director, Peter Syme explains: “The Open University’s research shows clearly there is no shortage of motivated people in Scotland keen to improve their skills and their prospects by getting back to learning.   Yet many of them are prevented from achieving their potential by the cost involved.  While the government’s fee waiver and Individual Learning Account schemes are a real help for those in the very lowest income bands,  research confirms that finance is a significant barrier for people at all income levels. 
“The government is aware of the need to improve the support available to part-time learners and a review is under way which may offer an improved support package in 2008/09.  In the meantime, it is essential to Scotland’s economic prosperity that we continue to encourage and support people to develop their skills through part-time learning.  That’s why the OU is making this additional support available from our own resources, with extra help for maths, computing, science and technology courses which are of particular economic importance.
“There has never been a better time to study part-time and we hope that as many people as possible will take advantage of it.”
A bursary of up to £100 for maths, computing, science and technology courses is available for all the OU’s undergraduate-level 30 point and 60 point courses in these subject areas, and is open to everyone irrespective of their income level.  This includes courses in astronomy, oceanography, music technology, engineering, environment, programming, web design, and from January 2008, the OU’s new flagship introductory science course, Exploring Science.
A financial award of £200 for people with household incomes up to £30,000 covers OU undergraduate-level 30 point and 60 point courses in every subject area.  This includes arts and humanities, health and social care, languages, and social sciences courses, as well as maths, science and technology courses.
The cost of maths, computing, science and technology courses included in the initiative range from £315 to £640, which could mean a reduction of up to nearly 80% off course fees.
Further information and a prospectus is available from The Open University’s Student Registration and Enquiry Service on 0845 300 60 90, email general-enquiries@open.ac.uk, or at www.open.ac.uk/courses.