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Tuition Fee Loans 2013/14

For courses starting after 1 September 2023 universities and colleges can charge:

• up to £9,000 in tuition fees for full-time students
• up to £6,750 in tuition fees for part-time students

Full-time students from England who are studying for their first degree or other higher education course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan for the full amount.

Part-time students studying for their first degree or other higher education course can also get a Tuition Fee Loan. Your course needs to be at least 25 per cent of an equivalent full-time course each year (eg four years instead of one year full time).

Students starting courses at private colleges and universities will be able to get:

• up to £6,000 for full-time courses
• up to £4,500 for part-time courses

• Download Paying for university in 2013/14: financial support for full-time students (PDF, 1245K)

Living costs

To cover your living costs, full-time students from England can apply for a:

• Maintenance Loan of up to £5,500
• Maintenance Grant of up to £3,354

The amount you get will depend on:

• your household income
• whether you live with your parents
• whether you live in London

Maintenance Grants don't have to be paid back but you do have to pay back a Maintenance Loan.

Part-time students can't apply for a loan or grant to cover living costs.

• Who qualifies for student finance?

• Student finance: evidence students submit with their application

How and when to apply for student finance

You can apply for student finance from early 2013. You can apply online.

Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college. Any Maintenance Loans or Maintenance Grants for full-time students will be paid into your bank account.

To get your student finance in place for the start of term, you will need to apply by the spring 2013 deadline. More details will be available later this year.

Repaying student finance

If you are studying full time, you will start repaying your loan from the April after you finish or leave your course.

Part-time students will start repaying their loan in the April four years after the start of their course or the April after they leave their course, whichever comes first.

If you're on a short course or you leave your course early, you won't start repayments until April 2016.

Whether you're a full-time or part-time student, you start repayments when you earn over £21,000.

The amount you repay will depend on how much you earn. You repay 9% of your income over £21,000. If your income is less than £21,000 you won't make any repayments and the interest applied to your loan will be at the rate of inflation, using the retail price index (RPI).

If you earn between £21,000 and £41,000, interest will be applied at the rate of inflation and up to 3% on a gradual scale depending on your income. If you earn £41,000 or more, interest will be applied at the rate of inflation (RPI) plus 3%.

Students with low incomes

If your household income is low, you may be able to get help from your university or college. For more details, contact your university about:

• the National Scholarship Programme
• bursaries or scholarships

• Bursaries, scholarships and awards

• Benefits for higher education students with low incomes

Other sources of financial help

Extra financial support is available for:

• disabled students (full-time and part-time students)
• students with children (full-time students only)
• students with dependent adults (full-time students only)
• students in financial hardship (full-time and part-time students)

• Financial help for disabled students in higher education

• Help for students with children

• Adult Dependants' Grant

• Access to Learning Fund