Finances

While you consider the sort of course you may want to study, you should also investigate how you will cover the costs of tuition fees and other potential expenses such as student accommodation and course materials. For information on finance matters, take a look our money section, or check out these useful pages on Direct.gov:

Student finance: an introduction
If you are planning to go into higher education the government provides financial support to help you cover the costs. The main sources of help are:

• Student Loans and grants from the government

• bursaries from your university or college

You may qualify for extra help if you’re disabled, or you have a mental health condition or specific learning difficulty.

How much will it cost?

Full-time courses

If you’re a new student (or you’re a continuing student who started your course in or after September 2006) the maximum tuition fees you’ll be charged are:

• £3,290 for the 2009/2010 academic year

• £3,375 for 2011/12

• £9,000 for 2012/13

Of course this can vary depending on the university or college you attend, the course you are studying, and where in the UK you study. Your university or college prospectus will have more information on tuition fees for your course.

You can get a Student Loan to meet the full cost of your tuition fees. This is paid directly to your university or college.

Part-time courses

There are no regulations stating how much universities or colleges can charge in tuition fees for most part-time courses.

Check with your university or college how much they charge – it’s also worth finding out how much the fees are likely to rise over the length of your course.

Applying for student finance

Full time students

The quickest way for full-time students to apply for student finance is through the Student Finance England website.

Part-time Students

The main sources of government-funded help for lower income part-time students are:

• the Fee Grant – to help with tuition fees

• the Course Grant – to help with study costs, such as books, materials and travel

You’ll need to make a separate application for each academic year, using the application form for part-time student finance (PTG1).

Download the application forms here.

Disabled students
If you have an impairment, health condition (including a mental health condition) or specific learning difficulty like dyslexia, you could get extra financial help. This is paid on top of anything you get through the standard student finance package.

Financial help for disabled students

Sources of extra financial help for disabled students include:

• Disabled Students’ Allowances

• Access to Learning Fund

• Disability Living Allowance

• Employment and Support Allowance

Access to Learning Fund
The Access to Learning Fund can provide extra help if you’re in hardship and need extra financial support. You normally apply directly through the student services department at your university or college.

They will tell you what exactly what information you need to supply
Your university or college will look at your individual circumstances, but you could get help with:

• course or living costs that are not already covered by other forms of financial help – these could be everyday living costs, childcare costs or support over the summer vacation if you have no one else to turn to

• emergency payments to cover unexpected financial crises or exceptional costs – such as repairs to essential household equipment

• extra support to help you keep studying

Funder Finder

If you are looking for charitable funding to start or continue your education, Funder Finder may be able to help. This small UK charity produces software you can use to find out if you are eligible for funding.

Find out more by visiting the Funder Finder website.