Money you can get to pay for university :Cross Stitch – Education and learning

If you’re starting a higher education course at university or college on or after 1 September 2012, the student finance package is changing. Find out what financial help you can get to cover your tuition fees and living costs while you study.

New and continuing full-time students need to apply now to prevent any delay to their funding.

New part-time students can apply now. Continuing part-time students can apply from mid-August.

To cover the costs of studying you can apply for:

  • a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees in full
  • a Maintenance Loan for living costs like rent (full-time students only)
  • a Maintenance Grant if your household income is less than £42,600 (full-time students only)
  • scholarships and bursaries from colleges and universities
  • extra financial help if you have a disability or children or adults depending on you

Full-time students have to pay back any loans plus interest once you leave your course and start earning more than £21,000 a year. Part-time students who earn over £21,000 a year have to start paying back their loans after four years even if their course hasn’t finished.

If you leave your course early you need to repay a percentage of the Tuition Fee Loan for that year – see ‘Paying back your student loan’ for details.

You don’t have to pay back grants, scholarships or bursaries.

From 2012/13 you can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to:

  • £9,000 for new full-time students, including full-time distance learning students
  • £6,750 for part-time students whose courses are at least 25 per cent of a full-time course each year (eg. four years part-time instead of one year full-time)
  • £6,000 if you study on an approved full-time course at a private university or college
  • £4,500 for students on an approved part-time course at a private university or college whose courses are at least 25 per cent of a full-time course each year (eg. four years part-time instead of one year full time)

The Tuition Fee Loan is paid directly to your university or college.

The Tuition Fee Loan may not cover the full cost of your tuition if you’re studying on an approved course at a private university or college.

If you’re an EU student from outside the UK, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan if you meet certain conditions.

Only full-time students can get Maintenance Loans and Maintenance Grants for their living costs.

Maintenance Loans

The maximum Maintenance Loan for new students starting from 1 September 2023 is:

  • £5,500 if you live away from home and study at a university or college outside London
  • £7,675 if you live away from home and study at a university or college in London
  • £4,375 if you live at home

You can also apply for a Maintenance Grant if your family income is below £42,600. You can get:

  • £3,250 if your household income is £25,000 or under
  • £50-£3250 if your household income is between £25,000 and £42,600

These loans and grants are paid into your bank account at the start of each term, once you’ve registered on your course.

You may be able to get a bursary, scholarship or award directly from your university or college. The National Scholarship Programme helps students with a family income of £25,000 or less.

Bursaries and scholarships do not have to be paid back.