UG student loans

The latest information on tuition fees can be found on the tuition fee for undergraduates webpage. A Tuition Fee Loan is available from the government via the Student Loans Company (SLC) to all UK undergraduate students, giving you the opportunity to borrow up to the full cost of your tuition fees.

While you are at university, your living expenses will be taken up by the cost of your accommodation, travel, food, bill, study materials and other day-to-day spending. In order to cover these costs, the government provides support in the form of a Maintenance Loan.

This loan is only available to UK undergraduate students. A certain percentage of the loan (around 44%-47%, depending on where you choose to live during term-time) is available without any means-testing.  The remaining percentage of your maintenance loan will be means tested based on your household income.  (This will be your parents’/guardians' earned and unearned income (eg benefits, pensions or investments) if you’re under 25 and depend on them financially, or you or your partner’s income if you’re over 25 and living together).  For 2020/21 academic year, the 2019/20 tax year income will be used. 

• Up to £9,203 in total will be available if you are living away from home and outside London.
• Up to £7,747 in total will be available if you are living at home.

For further details, visit the gov.uk website. You can also use the student finance calculator to estimate your Maintenance Loan.

In early 2020 you should apply for your funding online via the gov.uk student finance page. You should ensure that you apply to the relevant SLC agency for your area in which you normally reside. 

In order to ensure that your funding enters your account at the start of the academic year, you must apply by late May in the case of new students and late June in the case of continuing students.  Please check the SFE Facebook page to confirm the exact deadline dates.

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 a Chamberlain Award.

Please note: If you are a Home or EU student who has already completed a previous undergraduate programme of study from anywhere in the world that is equivalent to or higher than the second course that they are studying, you will be classed as an Equivalent or Lower Qualification (ELQ) student. As an ELQ student you will not be eligible for the Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan, Maintenance Grant or the University's 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 £26,575)
• the rate of inflation plus up to 3% (if you are earning between £26,576 and £47,835)
• the rate of inflation plus 3% (if you are earning above £47,835)

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

You will only start repaying your loan(s) in the April after you leave University, are in work and earning over £2,214 per month (before tax and other deductions). Repayments will be 9% of your income above this threshold so the amount repaid each month will depend on your earnings. If for any reason your income falls below £2,214 per month, 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 written off. For further information on the repayment process, please visit the repayment web pages on the gov.uk website.

If you live in Wales a maximum tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 is available which will be paid directly to your university or college.  Maintenance Loans are available for living costs up to £9,810 (for a student living away from home and outside London) and a grant of up to £10,124 is available for students from lower-income backgrounds.  Please visit Student Finance Wales for more information. 

If you live in Northern Ireland a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 will be available for full-time Northern Irish students studying in the rest of the UK.  Loans and grants for living costs will also be available. Please visit Student Finance NI for more information.

If you live in Scotland a tuition fee loan of £9,250 will be available.  Bursaries and loans may also be available to cover your living costs; for full details please visit the SAAS website.

For courses starting in 2021/22, EU students will not be eligible for SLC funding (with some exceptions). Please visit the government website for more details.

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.

If you are an EU student who joined the University in or before September 2020, then the UK Government has confirmed that you will continue to be eligible for Home fee status and will have access to the Tuition Fee Loan for the duration of your course.

Unfortunately, the UK Government has confirmed that EU students will no longer be eligible for Home fee status for entry in September 2021, which also means that you will not be eligible for the Tuition Fee Loan. Fees for EU students will be confirmed in due course.

Subject to Government approval, it appears that this change will not apply to students from Ireland, who will instead continue to be eligible for Home fee status.  

For more information, please take a look at the gov.uk website.