The financial support available will depend on whether you are considered a home, EU, or international student. You can find out which category applies to you by visiting the United Kingdom Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

Home students

The UK government, via the Student Loans Company, can provide loans to help with your tuition fees and cost of living. You may also qualify for a non-repayable, means-tested Living Cost Grant:

• Tuition Fee Loan - offered by the government via the Student Loans Company (SLC) to all home undergraduate students, giving you the opportunity to borrow up to the full cost of your tuition fees.
• Living Cost Loan - The SLC also offers a Living Cost Loan to home undergraduate students which is available to assist with living expenses whilst at university. All eligible students will be entitled to 65% of the loan and the additional 35% will be means tested based on your residual household income. You can learn more about student loans from the Directgov student loans web page.
• Living Cost Grant - UK undergraduate students may also qualify for a non-repayable Living Cost Grant from the government, worth up to £3,250 in 2012/13. Your eligibility and the amount you will receive will be determined by your residual household income as assessed by your relevant SLC agency. To see how much Living Cost Grant you will be eligible for, please visit the Student Finance calculator. The grant is paid in three instalments along with your Living Cost Loan. Further information can be found at the Directgov student grants web page.

EU students

EU students are eligible for the Tuition Fee Loan only. This is offered by the UK government via the Student Loans Company (SLC) to all EU and home undergraduate students, giving you the opportunity to borrow up to the full cost of your tuition fees. 

International students

If you are an international student, you will not be eligible for any financial assistance from the UK government. You will need to contact your home country to determine if there is any financial support available.

Additionally, please visit our international fees and funding web page for further information. 

Support for tuition fees

English students - From 2012 a tuition fee loan of up to £9,000 will be available which will be paid directly to your university or college.

Welsh students - From 2012 a maximum tuition fee loan of up to £3,465 will be available which will be paid directly to your university or college. The National Assembly will provide a fee grant (up to £5,535) to cover fees up to £9,000 in 2012.

Northern Irish students - From 2012 a tuition fee loan of up to £3,465 will be available for full-time Northern Irish students studying in Northern Ireland. A tuition fee loan of up to £9,000 will be available for full-time Northern Irish students studying in the rest of the UK.

Scottish students - The Scottish Government is due to make announcements on fee support for Scottish students studying in the rest of the UK in December.

Support for living costs

To give you a general idea of the support available, the table below provides an overview of the standard finance package available from the government towards living expenses for a student living away from the parental home and outside London:

Financial support table

Household income	Non Repayable Grant	Living Cost Loan	Total
£25,000 or less	£3,250	£3,875	£7,125
£30,000	£2,341	£4,330	£6,671
£35,000	£1,432	£4,784	£6,216
£40,000	£523	£5,239	£5,762
£45,000	£0	£5,288	£5,288
£50,000	£0	£4,788	£4,788
£55,778	£0	£4,288	£4,288
£60,000	£0	£3,788	£3,788
Over £60,500	£0	£3,575	£3,575

Please note that the amount of support available will be reduced if you choose to live with your parents.

You should apply online via the Directgov student finance page. You should ensure that you apply to the relevant SLC agency for your area in which you normally reside. To receive all the money you are entitled to and at the earliest opportunity, you must supply all the evidence requested by the relevant deadlines and give consent to share your financial details with the University. This will enable us to determine your eligibility for either a National Scholarship or a Chamberlain Award.

From the date you take out loan(s) you will be charged interest at the rate of inflation plus 3%. Once you have graduated or otherwise left the University you will be charged interest at:

• the rate of inflation (if you are earning less than £21,000)
• the rate of inflation plus up to 3% (if you are earning between £21,001 and £41,000)
• the rate of inflation plus 3% (if you are earning above £41,000)

For further information about interest rates on student loans, please visit the repayment web pages on the Directgov website.

You will only start repaying your loan(s) in the April after you leave University, are in work and earning over £21,000 per year. Repayments will be 9% of income above this threshold so the amount repaid each month will depend on your earnings. If for any reason your income falls below £21,000, your repayments will be suspended.

The repayment process is simple, as it will be deducted automatically from your pay through the tax system (PAYE). If you have not paid off your loan after 30 years, all outstanding repayments will be writtten off. For further information on the repayment process, please visit the repayment web pages on the Directgov website.