Student Finance

Are you confused about student finances? What are you entitled to and how to find information about it? Study Britannia is here to help and assist you in completing your Student Finance application.

What is Student Finance? Our simple guide to student fees and funding will provide you with a straightforward explanation of what is out there and how to get it. For a quick overview, watch the video below:

An Introduction to Student Loans

Money from the Government

UK and EU Students are fully eligible for the UK Government’s student loan support package if they meet the appropriate criteria:

  • The university, college or other institution you have applied for must be a ‘recognised’ or ‘listed’ institutional body (it must offer qualifying courses).
  • You must aim to complete at least 25% of your entire course module per year.
  • You are attending your first higher education qualification.

There are two primary sources of funding from the government available to students:

  • A Tuition Fee Loan – £9,250 a year for undergraduate studies, £10,609 for postgraduate Master’s courses and £25,000 for Postgraduate Doctoral studies.
  • A Maintenance Loan – This loan of up to £11,354 a year is intended to help you with your living costs whilst at university, including accommodation. Everyone is entitled to a percentage of this loan, although the amount you receive is dependent on when you started your course, where you live, and what your household income is.

Additional financial support

Tuition fee loans

The tuition fee loan covers your annual tuition fees up to £9,250 per academic year. The Student Loans Company pays this, on your behalf, directly to your University. The loan will be reduced by any fee waiver you have been awarded.

Maintenance loans for new students in 2018/19

You can also apply for a maintenance loan for day-to-day living expenses, such as accommodation and food. This is also administered by the Student Loans Company and will be paid into your bank account in three instalments, once you have registered to your course. The current maximum you can borrow is £11,354 if you live away from home and £7,324 if you live at home. The exact amount you can borrow depends on many factors, such as your household income.

You can learn more about student loans from the Direct gov Student Loans website. To see how much maintenance loan you will be eligible for, please visit the Student Finance calculator. Higher Maintenance Loans are available for students with underlying eligibility for means-tested welfare benefits.

Part-time students

Loans for tuition fees are up to £6,935 for part-time undergraduate students who complete a minimum of 25% of the full-time course load per year (30 credits or more).

International students

EU students

EU students are eligible for the Tuition Fee Loan.

This is offered by the UK government via the Student Loans Company to all EU and home undergraduate students, allowing you to borrow any amount up to the full cost of your tuition fees. Visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance for more information.

Non-EU students

If you are an international student, you will not be eligible for any financial assistance from the UK Government. You will need to apply for this kind of financial help in your home country. You may wish to consider applying for a scholarship.

Master degrees

The Loans for Postgraduate and Master degrees in the UK for students the 2018/19 academic year.

Through a postgraduate Master’s loan, you will be able to borrow up to is £10,609 to pay your fees and cover your living costs and will not depend on personal or family income.

You may be eligible for this loan if you:

  • Are under 60
  • Ordinarily live in England
  • Do not already have a master’s degree or higher qualification.

Doctoral – PhD degrees

New Postgraduate Loans for Doctoral degrees in the UK are being introduced for students commencing their PhD in 2018/19 academic year.

Through a postgraduate Doctoral loan, you will be able to borrow up to is £25,000 to pay your fees and cover your living costs and will not depend on personal or family income.

You may be eligible for this loan if you:

  • Start on or after 1 August 2018
  • Are under 60
  • Ordinarily live in England
  • Don’t already have a doctoral degree

Visit the gov.uk website to find out more.

For particularly high-achieving and talented students, academically as well as in the arts or sport, or for those in specific personal circumstances, a bursary or scholarship may be available. This would mean that their tuition and maintenance fees may be partially or entirely paid off. The extent to which courses are paid off, or if scholarships and bursaries are available at all, is at the discretion of the universities themselves and differs from campus to campus, so it’s essential to check the course listings and contact the specific institutions for more information.

Bursaries and scholarships may also be more likely for those studying certain degrees, including both undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

  • Students on eligible healthcare courses may qualify for an NHS Students’ Bursary. For more information, and to find out which courses are eligible, check the NHS website.
  • If you are undertaking teacher training, there may be funding available to support you. It depends on a few different things – such as the type of training route/programme, your degree/teaching subject, where you live, where you will study, and your circumstances.
  • If you are training for social work, you may get a bursary to help with living costs and tuition fees. The amount will not depend on household income – instead, it is based on where you live and where you will be studying.

What else you may need to pay for

University, whilst incredibly enriching and important in the employment process, can be costly. Even on top of tuition fees and maintenance loans for basic needs, such as accommodation and food, surprising figures may suddenly need to be paid. These can include:

  • Textbooks
  • Notepads, paper, pens and other stationery
  • Printing
  • Laundry
  • A laptop
  • Bedding
  • Kitchen and bathroom supplies

And more!

Tips to save money

This may seem intimidating to most, with many students unsure of how they will be able to balance paying for everything whilst at university, but there are ways to get around this:

  • Finding the right bank for you: Many UK banks offer student-friendly bank accounts with varying benefits. Some include an overdraft which allows you to temporarily draw out more money than you actually have if you need to. Others come with benefits such as discounted rail travel and restaurant prices. It is important to research which student account is right for you.
  • Budgeting correctly: One of the smarter budgeting techniques consists in analysing and organising where your money is spent and how much of it is used for different things. By doing this, you can realise where you might be overspending or even see what you can spend less on.
  • Working part-time: Although it may not be the best idea to do at exams time, many students take up part-time employment alongside their studies to gain some extra money. This can bring in some high disposable income. However, it would help if you remembered that it is important to maintain a good balance between work and study.

The Study Britannia Blog Page features several articles detailing how to manage your money during your university experience best; with tips ranging from ‘How much a postgraduate degree costs in the UK?’ to ‘How to open up and manage a bank account as a student’. Check out the rest HERE.

If you have any questions regarding your Student Finance application or what you may be entitled to, please get in touch:
T: 020 3302 7144
M: 074 2553 5194
Email: info@studybritannia.com

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