There are 3 different types of income used to calculate your award.
Net income
This is the income remaining in any one year after deductions have been made for:
- tax
- National Insurance
- private pension contributions
- employee pension contributions
- additional voluntary pension contributions
- any other expenses relating to employment, if allowed for tax purposes
Unearned income
This means income not gained through employment or self employment, such as income received from:
- property
- trust funds
- pensions
- benefits
Gross residual taxable income
This is the balance of total taxable income remaining in any one year after deductions have been made for:
- private pension contributions
- employee pension contributions
- additional voluntary pension contributions
- any other expenses relating to employment, if allowed for tax purposes
This does not include any deductions for tax or National Insurance (NI).
The income assessed elements available to postgraduate course students are calculated using different income periods depending on both:
- who’s income is applied
- which elements you're applying for
This table gives guidance on which income is applied and when.
| Applying for | Your Income | Your spouse / partner / civil partner's income | Your child's income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Grant | Net unearned income from the current academic year | Gross residual taxable income from the last tax year | Not taken into account |
| Childcare Allowance (CCA) | Not taken into account | Net income from the last tax year | Net income from the last tax year |
| Parent's Learning Allowance (PLA) | Not taken into account | Net income from the last tax year | Net income from the last tax year |
| Adult Dependants Allowance (ADA) | Not taken into account | Net income from the last tax year | Net income from the last tax year |
If your academic year begins in September or October, the income period is 1 September to 31 August. For January or March starters, this is 1 January to 31 December.
For ADA, if the adult dependant is not your spouse, partner, or civil partner, their income from the current academic year will be taken into account.