If you are a UK student you may be eligible for a loan from the Student Loans Company. You may also be eligible if you are an EU National or hold a different residency status. Find out more about student finance and loans on the Government website.
We’ve put together some key facts and advice to help you understand how Student Loans Company funding works. Find out about undergraduate and postgraduate loans in the sections below.
Key facts about the undergraduate student loan
If you’re studying an undergraduate degree, e.g. BA, BSc or BEd you may be eligible for an undergraduate student loan. Plus, those studying pre-registration postgraduate healthcare courses and PGCE or unsalaried schools direct can apply for the undergraduate funding package.
The undergraduate student loan (Plan 2) is made up of two parts, the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan.
Find out if you are eligible for an undergraduate student loan
-
About the tuition fee loan
- the tuition fee loan is designed to cover the costs of your tuition Find out the cost of tuition fees
- this part of the student loan is paid directly to the University.
-
About the maintenance loan
- the maintenance loan is to help with your living costs while studying e.g. food, accommodation and travel
- how much you get depends on where you live, study and your household income. Please use the student finance calculator to estimate how much maintenance loan you could be eligible for
- it is available for full-time and part-time students
- part-time students must be studying a full honours degree to be eligible for a maintenance loan
- you can only apply for a maintenance loan as a distance learning student if you cannot attend your course in person because of a disability
- you’re not eligible for a maintenance loan if you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course.
-
Receiving your student loan
- your maintenance loan is paid directly into your bank account two weeks after the start of term
- if your bank account details change (i.e. if you open a student account) make sure you update your bank details
- you will receive your loan in 3 instalments before the start of each term
- your maintenance loan is not designed to support you over the holidays.
-
Repaying your student loan
If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about the student loan, funding or application process, please visit our Funding and Application FAQ page and read ‘Supporting your child’s student Finance’ article on TheUniGuide
Key facts about the postgraduate master’s loan
If you’re studying a postgraduate degree e.g. a MSc, MA or LLM you may be eligible for a postgraduate master’s loan up to £12,167.
Those studying pre-registration postgraduate healthcare courses and PGCE or unsalaried schools direct can apply for the undergraduate funding package. Graduate-entry medical students can also get support from Student Finance England for fees charged over £3,465.
Postgraduate loans are paid directly to the student, so you decide how to spend the money, whether that be to pay for some or all your tuition or to go towards living costs.
Find out if you’re eligible for a postgraduate master’s loan
-
About the postgraduate master’s loan
- depending on when your course starts and how long it is, you may be eligible for a loan up to £11,836.
- the loan varies depending on where you live in the UK
- students studying full-time and part-time may be eligible
- if studying part time, the course must be no longer than double the length off the full-time route. If there is no full-time route, the part-time route must be no longer than three years.
- the loan is not based on your household income
- the loan is available to UK, EU Nationals (if commencing the course prior to the 21/22 academic year) and individuals with settled status in the UK. More details are available on the Government website
- to be eligible you must be under 60 years old on the first day of the first academic year of your course
- students are not eligible for a postgraduate loan if they are eligible for other funding e.g. a bursary from the National Health Service, Department of Health, Social Service and Public Safety or the Student Awards Agency Scotland
- a postgraduate master’s loan is for students studying a full master’s degree. This does not include a postgraduate diploma or certificate
- students who are awarded APL (Accreditation of Prior Learning) or APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) towards their Master’s degree will not be eligible.
-
Repaying your postgraduate master’s loan
Key facts about the postgraduate doctoral loan
If you’re studying a doctoral degree e.g. a PhD, EdD or EngD you may be eligible for a Government loan up to £27,265.
Postgraduate loans are paid directly to the student, so you decide how to spend the money, whether that be to pay for some or all your tuition or to go towards living costs.
Find out if you’re eligible for a postgraduate doctoral loan
-
About the postgraduate doctoral loan
- depending on when your course starts, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan of up to £27,265
- the loan is available for full-time and part-time standalone doctoral courses which are taught or research-based, or a combination of both
- the course must last between 3 – 8 academic years
- the loan is available for courses which are taught partly overseas if the UK is the lead institution with at least 50% of your study time spent in the UK
- the loan is not based on your household income
- the loan is available to UK, EU Nationals and individuals with settled status in the UK. More details are available on the Government website
- to be eligible you must be under 60 years old on the first day of the first academic year of your course
- students are not eligible for a postgraduate doctoral loan if they are eligible for other funding e.g. a funding from the National Health Service or a scholarship.
-
Repaying your postgraduate doctoral loan
- you won’t start paying back your postgraduate loan until you earn over the threshold
- after 30 years your postgraduate loan will be written off irrespective of how much you have outstanding.
Find extra financial support
We’ve put together some key facts and advice to help you understand how Student Loans Company funding works.
Eligibility
If you are a UK student you may be eligible for a loan from the Student Loans Company. You may also be eligible if you are an EU National or hold a different residency status. Find out more about student finance and loans on the Government website and check if you are eligible for an undergraduate student loan
Key facts about the undergraduate student loan
If you’re studying an undergraduate degree, e.g. BA, BSc or BEd you may be eligible for an undergraduate student loan. Plus, those studying pre-registration postgraduate healthcare courses and PGCE or unsalaried schools direct can apply for the undergraduate funding package.
The undergraduate student loan (Plan 2) is made up of two parts, the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan.
-
About the tuition fee loan
- the tuition fee loan is designed to cover the costs of your tuition. Find out the cost of tuition fees
- this part of the student loan is paid directly to the University.
-
About the maintenance loan
- the maintenance loan is to help with your living costs while studying e.g. food, accommodation and travel
- how much you get depends on where you live, study and your household income. Please use the student finance calculator to estimate how much maintenance loan you could be eligible for
- it is available for full-time and part-time students
- part-time students must be studying a full honours degree to be eligible for a maintenance loan
- you can only apply for a maintenance loan as a distance learning student if you cannot attend your course in person because of a disability
- you’re not eligible for a maintenance loan if you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course.
-
Receiving your student loan
- your maintenance loan is paid directly into your bank account two weeks after the start of term
- if your bank account details change (i.e. if you open a student account) make sure you update your bank details
- you will receive your loan in 3 instalments before the start of each term
- your maintenance loan is not designed to support you over the holidays.
-
Repaying your student loan
If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about the student loan, funding or application process, please visit our Funding and Application FAQ page and read ‘Supporting your child’s student Finance’ article on TheUniGuide
Find extra financial support
If you are a UK National and have been living in the UK for the past 5 years or have settled status, you are likely to be eligible for a student loan. If you are an EU National or hold a different residency status you may be eligible too.
Distance Learning students may also be eligible for a tuition fee loan. If you're studying full-time on a distance learning course due to a disability you may be able to apply for a maintenance loan.
Find out more about student finance and loans on the Government website
We’ve put together some key facts and advice to help you understand how a Government loan works.
Key facts about the postgraduate master’s loan
If you’re studying a postgraduate degree e.g. a MSc, MA or LLM you may be eligible for a postgraduate master’s loan up to £11,836.
Those studying pre-registration postgraduate healthcare courses and PGCE or unsalaried schools direct can apply for the undergraduate funding package. Graduate-entry medical students can also get support from Student Finance England for fees charged over £3,465.
Postgraduate loans are paid directly to the student, so you decide how to spend the money, whether that be to pay for some or all your tuition or to go towards living costs.
Find out if you’re eligible for a postgraduate master’s loan
-
About the postgraduate master’s loan
- depending on when your course starts and how long it is, you may be eligible for a loan up to £11,836.
- the loan varies depending on where you live in the UK
- students studying full-time and part-time may be eligible
- if studying part time, the course must be no longer than double the length off the full-time route. If there is no full-time route, the part-time route must be no longer than three years.
- the loan is not based on your household income
- the loan is available to UK, EU Nationals (if commencing the course prior to the 21/22 academic year) and individuals with settled status in the UK. More details are available on the Government website
- to be eligible you must be under 60 years old on the first day of the first academic year of your course
- students are not eligible for a postgraduate loan if they are eligible for other funding e.g. funding from the National Health Service, Department of Health, Social Service and Public Safety or the Student Awards Agency Scotland
- a postgraduate master’s loan is for students studying a full master’s degree. This does not include a postgraduate diploma or certificate
- students who are awarded APL (Accreditation of Prior Learning) or APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) towards their master’s degree will not be eligible.
-
Repaying your postgraduate master’s loan
Key facts about the postgraduate doctoral loan
If you’re studying a doctoral degree e.g. a PhD, EdD or EngD you may be eligible for a Government loan up to £27,265.
Postgraduate loans are paid directly to the student, so you decide how to spend the money, whether that be to pay for some or all your tuition or to go towards living costs.
Find out if you’re eligible for a doctoral loan
-
About the postgraduate doctoral loan
- depending on when your course starts, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan of up to £27,265
- the loan is available for full-time and part-time standalone doctoral courses which are taught or research-based, or a combination of both
- the course must last between 3 – 8 academic years
- the loan is available for courses which are taught partly overseas if the UK is the lead institution with at least 50% of your study time spent in the UK
- the loan is not based on your household income
- the loan is available to UK, EU Nationals and individuals with settled status in the UK. More details are available on the Government website.
- to be eligible you must be under 60 years old on the first day of the first academic year of your course
- students are not eligible for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if they are eligible for other funding e.g. a bursary from the National Health Service or a scholarship.
-
Repaying your postgraduate doctoral loan
- you won’t start paying back your postgraduate loan until you earn over the threshold
- after 30 years your postgraduate loan will be written off irrespective of how much you have outstanding.
Find extra financial support
Apply online
Find out more