Government loans and funding

Types of funding

Tuition Fee Loan: First-time UK students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of tuition fees.

Maintenance Loan: Depending on household income, full-time students may be able to apply for a Maintenance Loan to help with living expenses while studying.

Maintenance Loans for 2024/25 entry:

• up to £8,610 if living with your parents
• up to £13,348 if living away from your parents, in London
• up to £10,227 if living away from your parents, outside London
• up to £11,713 if spending a year of your course studying abroad
• up to £4,327 if you’re 60 or over on the first day of your course

NHS Learning Support Fund: If you're a nursing or midwifery student, the NHS offers grants to help with the cost of placement travel and child care, which don't need to be paid back.

Extra help: You might qualify for extra help if you have children or dependent adults, or you have a disability.

Find out more and apply for funding (gov.uk)

The process

Applying: You don't need a confirmed place at university, or your exam results, to apply for most government funding, but your parents or supporters will need to provide details of their income.

It's best to apply early, as it can take some time to process the application. You'll need to reapply for loans each year of study.

Receiving: Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to the University. Maintenance Loans are paid to you once we've confirmed your attendance, usually a few days after you've started your course.

In case your Maintenance Loan is late, make sure you have enough money to cover your living costs for the first few weeks of study.

Repaying: You don't start repaying your loans until you're earning over an annual income threshold. If you haven't repaid the loans after 30 years of leaving university, the debt will be written off.

For 2024/25 entry, you pay back 9% of what you earn above £25,000.

• If you earn £30,000 a year, you'll pay £20.29 per month.
• If you earn £40,000 a year, you'll pay £95.29 a month.