Fees and funding
If you're eligible, you pay nothing upfront. Here's what Student Finance covers and how repayment works.
Check if you're eligible
Up to £9,790
Tuition fee loan
Up to £9,790
A year, paid straight to the university. The foundation year usually costs less (£5,760).
Maintenance loan
Up to £14,135
A year for rent and living costs, paid to you. Up to £9,118 living with parents, £10,830 away from home, £14,135 in London. Depends on household income.
How repayment works
- You repay only when you earn over £25,000 a year.
- You pay 9% of what you earn above that, taken from your pay.
- If your income falls below the threshold, repayments stop.
Earn £28,000 a year and you repay 9% of £3,000: £270 a year, about £22 a month.
Your status and funding
Most routes need 3 years living in the UK before the course starts. Here is what each status usually gets.
- British or Irish citizen
- Loans for tuition and for living costs.
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizen with settled status
- Loans for tuition and for living costs.
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizen with pre-settled status
- Usually the tuition fee loan. The loan for living costs: we check.
- Indefinite leave to remain
- Loans for tuition and for living costs.
- Leave under a Ukraine Scheme
- Loans for tuition and for living costs. No 3 year rule, but your leave must still be valid when the course starts.
Common questions
Do I pay anything upfront?
No. If you're eligible, a tuition fee loan of up to £9,790 a year is paid straight to the university.
When do I pay it back?
Only once you earn over £25,000 a year, at 9% of what you earn above that. If your income drops, so do the payments.
Can I get money for living costs?
Yes. Most students can also get a maintenance loan for rent and daily costs. How much depends on your household income and where you live.