Key facts and figures

You don’t usually need cash up front to pay your tuition fees

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,250. If you're starting an Accelerated Degree course you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £11,100.

You have to repay any Tuition Fee Loan you borrow.

You can also get help with your living costs

You can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help pay for your living costs such as books and rent. How much you can get depends on your household income, and where you live and study.

For some students, even the maximum amount of Maintenance Loan may not be enough to cover all your living costs. Check out our guidance on understanding your living costs while studying at university or college.

It’s important you let us know if there are any changes to where you're living because it will affect how much student finance you can get. You can let us know of any changes in your online account.

You have to pay back any Maintenance Loan you borrow, but not until you’re earning over the repayment threshold. How much you repay will depend on your income, not how much you borrow.

Interest is charged

Interest is charged from the day your first payment is made to you or your uni or college, until your loan is repaid in full or cancelled. The interest you’re charged won’t affect how much you repay each month.

After 30 years your remaining loan is cancelled -

Even if you haven’t repaid a penny!

If you’ve got a disability, you could get extra help

You could get a Disabled Students’ Allowance of up to £25,575 if you’ve got a disability, a long-term health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty. The amount you can get depends on your needs, not your household income. You don't need to pay it back.

There’s also extra help if you’ve got children or an adult who depends on you financially

How much you can get depends on your household income. These grants don’t usually have to be repaid.