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Tuition fees – if your course starts before 1 September 2012

If your course starts before 1 September 2012 (academic year 2011/12), the changes to tuition fees won’t affect you.

If your course starts from 1 September 2012 (academic year 2012/13) different rules apply to tuition fees. See the link ‘Student Finance you can get for 2012/13’.

• Student finance for 2012/13

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Student finance – 2011/12

The amount of help you get depends on your household income and tuition costs among other things. The basic loans and grants are detailed below.

Full-time students – loans and grants

New and returning full-time students applying for 2011/12 can apply for:

• a Tuition Fee Loan –  to help with the cost of your tuition
• a Maintenance Loan – to help with living costs
• a Maintenance Grant – for additional help with living costs

Part-time students – loans and grants

New and returning part-time students applying for 2011/12 can apply for:

• a Fee Grant – to help with the cost of your tuition
• a Course Grant – to help with the cost of books, travel and other course expenses

Additional help for full and part-time students

Both full-time and part-time students might be able to get extra help like:

• scholarships and bursaries from your university or college
• extra financial help from the government if you’re disabled or in financial hardship

• Apply for student finance 2011/12 Opens new window

• Student finance forms and guides 2011/12

• Bursaries, scholarships and awards

• Help for students with children

• Help for disabled students

What do you have to pay back?

You have to pay back any loans plus interest once you complete your course and start earning more than £15,000.

You don't have to pay back any grants, scholarships or bursaries.

• Paying back your student loan

Tuition fees – loans and grants

To help with the cost of tuition fees there are certain loans and grants available. Tuition fees are the amount universities or colleges charge you each year to study.

If your course starts before 1 September 2012 UK universities and colleges can charge:

• up to £3,375 for full-time students
• no limit for part-time students
• no limit if you go to a private university or college

Full-time students

The maximum Tuition Fee Loan for new and returning full-time students applying for 2011/12 is £3,375.

Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college. It may not cover the full cost of your tuition if you’re studying at a private university or college.

If you’re a full-time EU student, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan if you meet certain conditions.

• EU students

Part-time students

Part-time students can’t apply for Tuition Fee Loans. Instead, they can apply for a Fee Grant. This is paid directly to your university or college and doesn’t have to be paid back.

How much you get depends on your circumstances, household income and course ‘intensity’. 'Intensity' is how long the course takes to complete compared with an equivalent full-time course.

The amounts shown below can increase if you have a partner or children. Download the guide ‘How you are assessed and paid’ for more detail.

Household income - single student without children	Fee Grant
under £16,845	£820-£1,230
£16,845	£770-£1180
£16,846-£25,420	£50-£820
over £25,420	no fee grant

• Student finance forms and guides 2011/12

• Download how you are assessed and paid - higher education student finance (PDF, 804K)

Living costs – loans and grants

To help with living costs there are certain loans and grants available.

Full-time students

Full-time students can apply for a Maintenance Loan and a Maintenance Grant to help with living costs. These are paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term, once you've registered on your course.

Maintenance Loan

The amount you get depends on your household income, where you live and how much Maintenance Grant you get.

You can apply for 72 per cent of the Maintenance Loan without taking your family income into account. How much you get of the remaining 28 per cent depends on your family income.

Maximum Maintenance Loan Rates

Where you live	Maintenance Loan
you live at home	£3,838
you live away from home and study outside London	£4,950
you live away from home and study in London	£6,928

Maintenance Grant

If you get help from the Maintenance Grant you don’t need to borrow as much through the Maintenance Loan and will have less to repay.

Household income	Maintenance Grant
under £25,000	£2,906
£25,001-£50,020	£50-£820
over £50,020	no grant

Other maintenance support

If you qualify for certain benefits (like Income Support), you may get the Special Support Grant instead of the Maintenance Grant. You get the same amount but it doesn’t reduce how much Maintenance Loan you can get.

Part-time students

Part-time students can’t apply for a Maintenance Grant or Maintenance Loan. Instead, they can apply for a Course Grant to help with the cost of books, travel and other course expenses. This is paid directly into your bank account.

How much you get depends on your household income and circumstances. The amounts shown below can increase if you have a partner or children. Download the guide ‘How you are assessed and paid’ for more detail.

Household income - single student without children	Course Grant
up to £26,029	£265
£26,030-£28,065	£50-£265
over £28,065	no grant

• Apply for student finance 2011/12 Opens new window

• Student finance forms and guides 2011/12

• Download how you are assessed and paid - higher education student finance (PDF, 804K)

Bursaries and scholarships

To help with tuition fees and living costs, you may be able to get a bursary or scholarship from your university or college.

Any money you get doesn’t have to be paid back but there are certain conditions you need to meet. For example, you can get a bursary of at least £338 to help with your tuition fees if your tuition fees are £3,375 and you qualify for the full Maintenance Grant.

To get a bursary or scholarship you have to contact your university or college.

• Bursaries, scholarships and awards