Cost of living support hub

Most students living in the UK choose to apply for a student loan. This means that the government agrees to pay a student's tuition fees during their time at University.

Your student loan is made up of two parts:

• A tuition fee loan, which is paid directly to us.
• An optional maintenance loan to help with your living costs. This will be paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term.

The amount you receive will depend on your personal circumstances. This could be your household income and whether you live away from home or with your family.

You may get asked to contribute towards a small number of essential things you’ll need to get the most out of your course. This could be books, equipment and attendance on field trips. We’ll give you more details when you apply. 

Financial support from us

We have extra financial support packages which you may be eligible for if you’re from a low income household or experiencing financial hardship. Find out more on our fees and funding page.

Other government funding

For details of other government support available, including:

• Child Tax Credits
• NHS bursaries
• Social work bursaries
• Help with costs of travel to UK clinical placements

Visit gov.uk/student-finance

You should apply for your student loan as soon as you’ve applied to us. The application process varies depending on where you live. To apply please follow the relevant link:

• Students living in England
• Students living in Northern Ireland
• Students living in Scotland
• Students living in Wales

If you have been assessed as having “settled status”, you will be eligible for the same support from Student Finance as a UK student.

To apply please follow the relevant link:

• Students living in England
• Students living in Northern Ireland
• Students living in Scotland
• Students living in Wales

Postgraduate students can now apply for a loan from the Student Loans Company in the same way as undergraduate students. However, unlike an undergraduate loan, this will be paid directly to you. As a result, it is important to consider your tuition fees and when you need to pay these to the University.

To apply please follow the relevant link:

• Students living in England
• Students living in Northern Ireland
• Students living in Scotland
• Students living in Wales

In England, you won’t start repaying your student loan until you’ve finished your course and you’re earning above a certain amount.

Student Finance England deduct repayments from your salary through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme.

Your repayments will stop automatically if your income falls below the threshold or you stop working.

Your monthly repayment will be a small percentage of the amount of your salary which is above the threshold.

Other parts of the UK have different repayment plans. 

For more information about repaying student loans go to the repaying your student loan page on the government website.

If you go through Student Finance, you have the option to receive a maintenance loan from the government to help with your living costs. The amount you receive in your maintenance loan depends on your personal circumstances. This could be your household income and whether you live away from home or with your family. 

Maintenance loans get paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term. Generally, maintenance loans will get paid into your bank account in September, January and April. This can vary depending on which university you study at and the course you are studying. Your maintenance loan is unlikely to get paid directly to your accommodation provider. Be mindful of this when you are working out your monthly budget as you will need to put money aside to pay your accommodation provider.

It is unlikely that your maintenance loan will cover all of your living costs. If possible, you may need extra financial support from:

• A parent or carer
• A government loan
• A scholarship or bursary provided by the university
• A part-time job