Full time SQE - is there a Christmas break ?

[LawyerInMaking]

Hi

Can anyone who has studied SQE full time or knows about it, help out? I am starting my sponsored full time SQE with BPP in September and as an international student, would like to travel to my home country in December to both rejuvenate as well as prepare for SQE1. Is there a formal break from studies for atleast a couple weeks in December to allow this? Do most international students stay put in UK through Christmas preparing for the upcoming SQE1 in January OR is it ok to travel out and study remotely and then get back to UK in time for the exams?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hiya @LawyerInMaking Happy to confirm that there is a Christmas break during the course! At ULaw, our break period ran from early December through to late January. That "break period" covered the Christmas holidays, revision time, and the SQE exam window itself. This was also the case at BPP. You’ll have plenty of time to head home, revise, and recharge. Best of luck with the course!

 

[LawyerInMaking]

Hiya @LawyerInMaking Happy to confirm that there is a Christmas break during the course! At ULaw, our break period ran from early December through to late January. That "break period" covered the Christmas holidays, revision time, and the SQE exam window itself. This was also the case at BPP. You’ll have plenty of time to head home, revise, and recharge. Best of luck with the course!

Thanks a lot Ram. That is so helpful .

 

[LawyerInMaking]

Hiya @LawyerInMaking Happy to confirm that there is a Christmas break during the course! At ULaw, our break period ran from early December through to late January. That "break period" covered the Christmas holidays, revision time, and the SQE exam window itself. This was also the case at BPP. You’ll have plenty of time to head home, revise, and recharge. Best of luck with the course!

Thank you @Ram Sabaratnam , would you know if the maintenance allowance paid by the law firm during SQE taxable ?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Thank you @Ram Sabaratnam , would you know if the maintenance allowance paid by the law firm during SQE taxable ?

Hiya @LawyerInMaking

The maintenance funds are not subject to income tax/tax. You will take your maintenance allowance free of tax 🥳

 

[trainee4u]

Hiya @LawyerInMaking

The maintenance funds are not subject to income tax/tax. You will take your maintenance allowance free of tax 🥳

See

Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005

An Act to restate, with minor changes, certain enactments relating to income tax on trading income, property income, savings and investment income and certain other income; and for connected purposes.

www.legislation.gov.uk

(1)No liability to income tax arises in respect of income from a scholarship held by an individual in full-time education at a university, college, school or other educational establishment.

HMRC say:

EIM06225 - Employment income: scholarship income: rates of payment under Statement of Practice 4/86 - HMRC internal manual - GOV.UK

www.gov.uk

Where the rate of remuneration (inclusive of lodging, subsistence and travelling allowances, but exclusive of fees payable by the employee to the university etc.) exceeds the limits set out above, do not accept that the trainee/student is in receipt of scholarship income. You should obtain copies of contracts between the trainee/student and the employer/sponsor and an explanation of how the level of payments has been calculated. It is likely that the amounts exceed what may genuinely be described as scholarship income or educational maintenance. In consequence the payments are likely to be earnings from the employment and should be taxed in full.

Prior to 2005, "For academic years ending on or before 31 August 2005 the limit was set at £7,000 or an amount which a public awarding body such as a Research Council, would have granted to a student with similar personal circumstances. "

In 2005 it was increased to £15,000, and in 2007 to £15,480.

It has not been increased since 2007.

£15,480 in 2007 is around £30.3k today!

Therefore, while anything over £15,480 is technically "subject to explanation" because it might be disguised remuneration, it's really unlikely that law firms would do anything that puts them at risk of NI liability in respect of the sums, but if one were to be awarded an absurdly large bursary (£30k+, for example), it seems possible.....