Student Finance - Aimhigher West Midlands

Undergraduate students from the UK can apply for student finance through the Student Loans Company. Students can apply for two loans: a Tuition Fee Loan, which will cover the cost of your first undergraduate course, and a Maintenance Loan, which can support your living costs.

A Tuition Fee Loan is available from the UK government via the SLC to UK undergraduate students, giving you the opportunity to borrow up to the full cost of your tuition fees. If you take out a Tuition Fee Loan, the money is paid directly to the University to pay your tuition fees.

Maintenance loans are 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’ or guardians’ income if you’re under 25 and depend on them financially, or your income if you are over 25 or an estranged student.

You may also be eligible for a scholarship or bursary. We recommend researching your chosen university to find out what financial support is available to you.

  • Individual university scholarships: Universities offer a range of scholarships and bursaries based on different criteria.
  • Disabled students allowance: If you have a disability, or physical/mental health condition, SFE may be able to provide extra funding to support you.
  • Dependants grants: If you are a young carer, have any children, or anyone that you have to support financially, SFE may also be able to help.

Top Tip

If you think you may qualify for any type of scholarship or bursary, it’s always worth applying to find out!

How it works

1.

Once you have applied to university using UCAS, you can then apply online for your student finance at www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance.

2.

You may have to provide evidence of your household income. You can use the Student Finance calculator on the government website to get an estimate.

3.

Once your application is approved and you have firmly accepted an offer at university, student finance will pay your tuition fee loan directly to the university for you. Any maintenance loan payments are then scheduled to be paid to you in three instalments over the academic year – September, January and April.

 

Once you finish university, the repayment part can sound a little complicated, but we’re here to help. It all depends on how much you are earning, and not on how much you have borrowed.

You’ll only repay your student loan when your income is over the threshold amount for your repayment plan, unless you’ve been overpaid.

Your income is the amount you earn (including things like bonuses and overtime) before tax and other deductions.

The threshold amounts change on 6 April every year.

The earliest you’ll start repaying is:

  • the April after you leave your course
  • the April 4 years after the course started if you’re studying part-time and your course is longer than 4 years
  • April 2026 if you’re on Plan 5

Your repayments automatically stop if either:

  • you stop working
  • your income goes below the threshold

Currently, loans are written off 40 years after the April you were first due to repay. Outstanding debt is never passed onto anyone else.

Visit the government website for more information on student finance and replaying a loan.

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