Financial Support for University Students

The Government provides a wide range of financial support to students studying University programmes (HNCs, HNDs, Foundation Degree, Degrees and DTLLS).

There are certain conditions that you will need to fulfil to be considered for this support, most of which are related to your nationality, residency status and previous qualifications. In general, students who have ‘settled’ status in the UK and have been resident in the UK since at least 1 September 2009 will be eligible to apply, although students who enrol on a programme which leads to an equivalent, or lower qualification to one that they already hold will not normally qualify for tuition fee loans or maintenance loans and grants. Non-UK European Union (EU) nationals will normally be able to apply for a tuition fee loan but not a maintenance loan or grant.

Full details of the financial assistance available in 2012/13, including guidance to help you assess your eligibility, can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance. If you require further advice, please contact our Student Finance Team on 0845 207 8200 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

When to apply for government financial support

Applications for student finance for the 2012/13 academic year can be made from early 2012. You don’t need to have accepted a university or college place to apply. You should apply before 31 May 2012 to make sure you receive your loans and grants before the start of term in September 2012. However, applications will still be accepted after this date.

Full-time Students

The main types of financial help available for full-time students commencing their programme in 2012/13 are:

·       Student Loan for Tuition Fees to cover the cost of tuition fees in full. This is available to all UK and EU students and isn’t means-tested.

·       Student Loan for Maintenance to help with accommodation and other living costs. How much you receive depends on your household income. The maximum Maintenance Loan for new students starting from September 2012 is £5,500 if you live away from home and study at a university or college outside London, or £4,375 if you live at home. Please note that this loan is only to students aged under 60 on 1 September 2012.

·       Maintenance Grant (non-repayable). You can apply for a Maintenance Grant if your family income is below £42,600. You can get:

–       £3,250 if your household income is below £25,000

–       £50-£3,250 if your household income is between £25,000 and £42,600

If you receive a Maintenance Grant your Maintenance Loan may be reduced.

·       Special Support Grant (non-repayable). If you receive or qualify for Income Support or Housing Benefit you may receive the Special Support Grant instead of the Maintenance Grant.  The amount you can receive through the Special Support Grant is the same as that available through the Maintenance Grant but it won’t reduce your Maintenance Loan.

Tuition fee loans are paid direct to your University whereas maintenance grants and loans are paid into your bank account.

You don’t have to pay back grants you receive but you’ll have to start paying back any loans (plus interest) once you complete your programme and start earning more than £21,000 a year. You’re charged interest on your loans from the time you get your first payment until you pay your loan back in full. The amount of interest charged varies between the rate of inflation and the rate of inflation plus 3 per cent.

You can use a student finance calculator here to get an estimate of the loans and grants available to you.

Part-time Students

Students commencing a part-time programme in 2012/13 will be able to apply for a non-means tested tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their tuition fees in full. To qualify for a loan, your programme must have a study ‘intensity’ of at least 25% of an equivalent full-time programme in each year and over the duration of the programme. For example, if a part-time programme was two years and the equivalent full-time programme was one year, the part-time programme would have an intensity of 50% of the full-time programme.

Tuition fee loans are paid direct to your university or college.

You’ll have to start paying back your loan (plus interest) from the April four years after you began studying, even if your programme hasn’t finished. However, repayments will only begin if you are earning £21,000 a year or more. Like full-time students, you’re charged interest on your loans from the time you get your first payment until you pay your loan back in full. The amount of interest charged varies between the rate of inflation and the rate of inflation plus 3 per cent.

Students with a disability or specific learning difficulty

If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you may be eligible for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). This is a non-repayable Government grant to help pay for extra costs you might have as a direct result of your disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. It is available to both full-time and part-time students (although part-time students must be studying at least 25% of a full-time programme each year to qualify). Eligibility for the DSA is based on your level of need (household income isn’t assessed).

Professional and Career Development Loan

This is a bank loan of £300 to £10,000 that can be used to help pay for a full-time or part-time programme which leads to employment or enhances job skills. It is not available to students who are eligible for government financial support, but it may be suitable if you can’t access the government tuition fee loan and maintenance loan and grant because you’re intending to enrol on a programme that is equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification you already hold.

Interest rates are competitive and although you don’t pay interest on the loan while you’re studying, you must start repayments on completion of your programme.

Further information can be found here.

Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Section (DTLLS) Students

Students commencing the Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed DTLLS) or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE DTLLS) programme in 2012/13 will be able to apply for the same financial assistance as part-time undergraduate students (see ‘Part-time Students’ above).

Grant/bursary arrangements for DTLLS programmes in the 2012/13 year have not yet been finalised. However, in 2011/12, a flat rate, non means-tested grant of £400 was available from the Institute for Learning (IfL) for students studying the Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed DTLLS) or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE DTLLS). To qualify, students had to be registered members of the IfL and be employed by a Further Education (FE) provider. The grant was paid direct to the student’s employer. Please click here for further information.

University and College Grants and Bursaries

Once enrolled on a programme, students are sometimes able to claim additional grants and bursaries via our partner universities. These bursaries are typically means-tested and claimants are usually expected to have already claimed all government financial support (including loans) before applying. For further information please use the links below to go to the finance pages of the relevant university.

The College also administers an additional bursary scheme with maximum grants to individual students experiencing financial hardship of up to £2,000.

Further Information

·       www.directgov.uk/studentfinance (Information about government finance support)

·       www.nus.org.uk/money (Information from the National Union of Students)

·       www.gre.ac.uk/students/finance (University of Greenwich information)

·       www.kent.ac.uk/courses/funding (University of Kent information)

·       www.canterbury.ac.uk/studyhere/feesandfinance (Canterbury Christ Church University information)