Higher education institutions in the UK
Student finance
Funding available towards the tuition fees and living expences
STUDENT FUNDING FOR EDUCATION IN THE UK
1. Overview
The main student finance package includes a:
Tuition fee loans pay for your course. Maintenance loans and grants help with living costs (eg accommodation, books, bills). You have to pay back loans but you don’t need to pay back grants.
You apply for student finance every year. You don’t need a confirmed place at university or college to apply.
Tuition Fee Loan
English or EU full-time or part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.
The loan is paid directly to your university or college. You have to pay it back.
Full-time studentTuition Fee Loan Full-time Up to £9,250
Full-time at a private university or college Up to £6,150
Part-time studentTuition Fee Loan Part-time Up to £6,750
Part-time at a private university or college Up to £4,500
Maintenance Loan for living costs
You must be a full-time English student. Part-time students, EU students and students aged 60 and over can’t apply.
You may have to give details of your household income.
The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of term. You have to pay the loan back.
Full-time studentLoan for courses from September 2013 Loan for courses from September 2014
Living at home Up to £4,375Up to £4,418
Living away from home, outside London Up to £5,500Up to £5,555
Living away from home, in London Up to £7,675Up to £7,751
You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad Up to £6,535Up to £6,600
Maintenance Grant for living costs
You must be a full-time English student. Part-time and EU students can’t apply.
You have to give details about your household income and your course start date.
The grant is paid into your bank account at the start of term. You don’t have to pay the grant back, but any grant you get will reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.
Special Support Grant
You must be a full-time student. Part-time and EU students can’t apply.
You may get a Special Support Grant instead of a Maintenance Grant if you get or qualify for Income Support or Housing Benefit. The amount you get is the same as the Maintenance Grant, but it won’t reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.
You may get the Special Support Grant if, for example, you’re a lone parent or have certain disabilities.
.
4. Eligibility
Whether you qualify for student finance depends on:
This should be a university, college or other institution that offers a qualifying course.
Your course
This must be in the UK and one of the following:
Part-time students
Part-time students need to study their courses at a rate of at least 25% of an equivalent full-time course in each academic year.
This is known as ‘course intensity’. You can check course intensity with your university or college.
You’ve studied before
Generally, you’ll only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification. This is true even if your previous course was self-funded.
However, you may still get it if, for example:
There’s no upper age limit for tuition fee loans or grants. To apply for a Maintenance Loan you have to be under 60 at the start of the course.
Your nationality or residency status
You can apply if:
You must pay back tuition fee loans and maintenance loans. You also pay interest on these. You don’t have to pay back other student finance, eg grants and bursaries.
How much you pay back
Repayments won’t start until April 2016 if your course finishes before 2016, or you choose to leave before then.
Your repayments are linked to your income. You only make repayments when your income is over £21,000 a year. Repayments are put on hold if your income drops below £21,000.
Part-time students sometimes start making repayments while they’re still studying.
Each year you pay back 9% of any income over £21,000
The following interest rates apply for courses that started on or after 1 September 2012.
The main student finance package includes a:
- Tuition Fee Loan
Maintenance Loan - full-time students only
Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant - full-time students only
Tuition fee loans pay for your course. Maintenance loans and grants help with living costs (eg accommodation, books, bills). You have to pay back loans but you don’t need to pay back grants.
You apply for student finance every year. You don’t need a confirmed place at university or college to apply.
Tuition Fee Loan
English or EU full-time or part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.
The loan is paid directly to your university or college. You have to pay it back.
Full-time studentTuition Fee Loan Full-time Up to £9,250
Full-time at a private university or college Up to £6,150
Part-time studentTuition Fee Loan Part-time Up to £6,750
Part-time at a private university or college Up to £4,500
Maintenance Loan for living costs
You must be a full-time English student. Part-time students, EU students and students aged 60 and over can’t apply.
You may have to give details of your household income.
The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of term. You have to pay the loan back.
Full-time studentLoan for courses from September 2013 Loan for courses from September 2014
Living at home Up to £4,375Up to £4,418
Living away from home, outside London Up to £5,500Up to £5,555
Living away from home, in London Up to £7,675Up to £7,751
You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad Up to £6,535Up to £6,600
Maintenance Grant for living costs
You must be a full-time English student. Part-time and EU students can’t apply.
You have to give details about your household income and your course start date.
The grant is paid into your bank account at the start of term. You don’t have to pay the grant back, but any grant you get will reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.
Special Support Grant
You must be a full-time student. Part-time and EU students can’t apply.
You may get a Special Support Grant instead of a Maintenance Grant if you get or qualify for Income Support or Housing Benefit. The amount you get is the same as the Maintenance Grant, but it won’t reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.
You may get the Special Support Grant if, for example, you’re a lone parent or have certain disabilities.
.
4. Eligibility
Whether you qualify for student finance depends on:
- your university or college
your course
if you’ve studied a higher education course before
your age
your nationality or residency status
This should be a university, college or other institution that offers a qualifying course.
Your course
This must be in the UK and one of the following:
- a first degree, eg BA, BSc or BEd
a Foundation Degree
a Certificate of Higher Education
a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
a Higher National Diploma (HND)
a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
Initial Teacher Training
Part-time students
Part-time students need to study their courses at a rate of at least 25% of an equivalent full-time course in each academic year.
This is known as ‘course intensity’. You can check course intensity with your university or college.
You’ve studied before
Generally, you’ll only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification. This is true even if your previous course was self-funded.
However, you may still get it if, for example:
- you change course
you leave your course but decide to start again
you’re ‘topping up’ a higher education qualification, eg you’ve finished an HNC, HND or Foundation Degree and now want to do an honours degree
There’s no upper age limit for tuition fee loans or grants. To apply for a Maintenance Loan you have to be under 60 at the start of the course.
Your nationality or residency status
You can apply if:
- you’re a UK national or have ‘settled status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay)
you normally live in England
you’ve been living in the UK for 5 years before starting your course
- EU national, or family member of an EU national
refugee
humanitarian protection (as a result of a failed application for asylum)
migrant worker
child of a Swiss national
child of a Turkish worker
You must pay back tuition fee loans and maintenance loans. You also pay interest on these. You don’t have to pay back other student finance, eg grants and bursaries.
How much you pay back
Repayments won’t start until April 2016 if your course finishes before 2016, or you choose to leave before then.
Your repayments are linked to your income. You only make repayments when your income is over £21,000 a year. Repayments are put on hold if your income drops below £21,000.
Part-time students sometimes start making repayments while they’re still studying.
Each year you pay back 9% of any income over £21,000
Your income per year Monthly repayments
£21,000 and under No repayments
£25,000 £30
£30,000 £67
£40,000 £142
£50,000 £217
£60,000 £292
£21,000 and under No repayments
£25,000 £30
£30,000 £67
£40,000 £142
£50,000 £217
£60,000 £292
- If you leave the UK, repayments are based on the earnings threshold for the country where you live.
Interest on your student loans
There are different rules if your course started before 1 September 2012.
You pay interest from the time your first payment is made until you pay your loan back in full.
The following interest rates apply for courses that started on or after 1 September 2012.
Income Interest rate
While you’re studying Rate of inflation (Retail Price Index) plus 3%
£21,000 or less Rate of inflation
£21,000 to £41,000 Rate of inflation plus up to 3%
Over £41,000 Rate of inflation plus 3%
Making repayments
You can pay back some or your entire loan at any time without an extra charge.While you’re studying Rate of inflation (Retail Price Index) plus 3%
£21,000 or less Rate of inflation
£21,000 to £41,000 Rate of inflation plus up to 3%
Over £41,000 Rate of inflation plus 3%
Making repayments
- If you’re an employee your employer will work out your repayments and take them out of your salary with your tax.
If you’re self employed you must make repayments as part of your Self Assessment tax return.
You still have to repay your student loan if you leave your course early.
You must fill in an overseas income assessment form if you go abroad for more than 3 months. Student Finance England will then work out your repayments.
Comments
Post a Comment