Website of the UK government

Support for full-time students

You’ll need to make a separate application for each year of your course. The sources of financial help open to you are normally the same as those available for your first year.

For eligible full-time students, the main sources of financial help are:

• Student Loan for Tuition Fees
• Student Loan for Maintenance
• Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant
• bursaries and scholarships

Any help you get through a Student Loan doesn’t have to be paid back until you’ve finished your course and are earning at least £15,000 a year. Grants and bursaries don’t have to be repaid at all.

This page outlines the package of financial support available to most full-time students from England who started their course after September 2006.

But it doesn’t apply to everyone - the help available to some students will be different. Check the section below entitled ‘Does the information on this page apply to you?’.

Student Loan for Tuition Fees

All eligible full-time higher education students can take out a Student Loan for Tuition Fees. This will cover the full cost of your tuition fees, up to a maximum of £3,145 for 2008/2009 or £3,070 for 2007/2008.

The Student Loan for Tuition Fees is paid direct to your university or college. To find out more, see ‘Student Loans’.

• Student Loans

Student Loan for Maintenance

You may also be able to get the Student Loan for Maintenance - a loan to help towards accommodation and other living costs. The maximum amount for 2008/2009 is £6,475. For 2007/2008 it’s £6,315.

How much you can get depends on your household income, where you study, whether you’re in your final year, whether you live at home, and how much Maintenance Grant (if any) you receive.

See ‘Student Loans’ for more information.

• Student Loans

Maintenance Grant and Special Support Grant

As well as Student Loans, you may be able to get a Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant to help with accommodation and other living costs. If you qualify, you could get up to £2,835 for 2008/2009 or up to £2,765 for 2007/2008.

You don’t have to pay back grants. To find out more, follow the link below.

• Maintenance Grant: help with living costs

Bursaries and scholarships

On top of student finance from the government, you may be able to get help from your college or university in the form of bursaries and scholarships.

Bursaries vary, but in 2007/08 the typical bursary for a student receiving the full Maintenance Grant on a course charging the full £3,070 tuition fee was £1,000. Find out more from ‘Bursaries, scholarships and awards'.

• Bursaries, scholarships and awards

Extra financial help

As well as the standard student finance package, extra financial help is available for particular groups of students. You may already be getting extra help – or, if your circumstances change, you may become entitled to it after your first year.

Help is available for:

• students with disabilities, mental health conditions or specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia)
• students with children (especially lone parents)
• students with adult dependants
• students in financial difficulty (from your university or college)

You’ll need to apply for this extra help for each year of your course. Follow the links below to find out more.

• Financial help for disabled students
• Extra help for students with children
• Adult Dependants' Grant
• Access to Learning Fund: extra help if you need it

How to apply

You can make an application even if you didn’t apply for student finance earlier in your course.

If you’ve already made an application, unless your circumstances have changed, you won’t need to supply evidence along with your application.

• How to apply for student finance - after your first year

If your circumstances change

If your circumstances change, it’s important to let your local authority (or the Student Loans Company) know as soon as possible. If you don’t, this could affect the amount of help you’re entitled to, or delay payments to you.

For more information see, ‘If your circumstances change’.

• Contact your local authority (student finance applications) Opens new window
• If your circumstances change while you are studying

Does the information on this page apply to you?

This page outlines the financial help available to most full-time students who started their course in or after September 2006.

But for some – for example, many students who took a gap year in 2005/2006 – the funding rules for students starting before September 2006 will apply.

The financial help available will also be different if you’re not from England or you’re a part-time student.

• Full-time students: check which student finance package is available to you
• Student finance: not from England
• Student finance: part-time students