Undergraduate Financial Support

Summary of Funding Arrangements for Full-time UK/EU Students

The information below does not apply to students on degree programmes in Health Sciences (Nursing and Midwifery professional pathways) and Nutrition/Dietetics; advice on these can be obtained from the relevant Faculty or Department.

Student Fee Loan (Paying Fees – Study First, Pay Back When You Are Earning)

Home undergraduates are able to study first and pay back tuition fees when they are earning. Students are able to defer payment of their fees by taking out a Student Fee Loan, up to the exact amount charged by their University, which they will start repaying after they leave higher education, and are earning more than £21,000 per year.

This applies to students living in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; assistance towards the payment of tuition fees in the form of a repayable loan is also available to students who are nationals of European Union (EU) countries, are normally resident in the EU, and are studying on degree programmes on a full-time basis.

Maintenance Grants

Full-time UK students from lower income households are eligible for a government-funded, non-repayable maintenance grant of up to £3,250 a year in 2012/2013, payable in three instalments, with the amount that a student gets determined by their income, and that of their household. If that income is £25,000 or less you will be eligible for a full grant worth £3,250. Partial grants will be available for those with a household income between £25,001 up to £42,600, with more than 50% of full-time students eligible for either a full or partial grant. This applies to students living in England and Wales; students living in Northern Ireland are eligible for a similar maintenance grant and students living in Scotland but studying in England are able to apply for a means-tested ‘Students Outside Scotland Bursary' (SOSB).

Maintenance Loans

Government-funded student loans for maintenance are available to UK students to help with living expenses. The loan attracts a low rate of interest which means that the value of the loan that is repaid remains the same in real terms as the amount borrowed. All eligible students are entitled to borrow 72% of the maximum loan, with the remaining 28% dependent on the student’s income and that of their household, and on the amount of maintenance grant that they are receiving.

This applies to students living in England and Northern Ireland who are studying in England. Welsh students, please check with Student Finance Wales. A partially means-tested loan for living costs is also available to Scottish students studying in England.

EU Students

European nationals and their children, who satisfy certain residence criteria in the UK and Islands, may also be eligible for higher education maintenance support in England and Wales. If you are an EU national or the child of such a person and you have lived in the UK and Islands (apart from temporary absences) for the three years before the start of your course i.e. since 1 September 2009 for a course starting on the 1 September 2012, you may be eligible for a student loan and any grants as well as tuition fee support.

Residence in the UK and Islands wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education is no longer excluded from this period and you do not need to be “settled” in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971.

Further details and the latest information on eligibility criteria for EU students are available from
Student Finance Section of the Gov.uk website.

Changes in Programme or University

Students who are in receipt of student support and who are considering withdrawal from the University or a change in programme need to be aware of the implications of their decision on their eligibility for support at a future date. The regulations governing student support are extremely complex and the following paragraphs, while providing a summary of the general principles, should not be regarded as definitive.

Support is generally available for the length of the course, plus one additional year if needed, minus any years of previously supported HE study. If you transfer course after one academic year, there may, therefore, be a period during which you will not be eligible for assistance towards your fees and will need to self-fund, depending on the length of the course to which you are transferring. Maintenance loans will, however, normally continue to be available to those students who do not already have an honours degree from a UK institution during any self-funding period.

If you are thinking of changing your course in any way, including moving from a full-time to a sandwich course, it is essential you contact your funding authority for advice at the earliest opportunity.

Repeating Periods of Study

Students are able to claim means-tested fee support and loans when repeating their first year for the first time on a full or part-time basis. It is also possible for students to be eligible for student support, on the grounds of compelling personal reasons, for repeat periods of the second and subsequent years of the course.

The rules for all these arrangements are complicated, and it is essential that any student wanting assistance for repeat study on a full-time or part-time basis, contact his/her funding authority (or the EU Team at the SLC in the case of EU students) for advice. In particular the student needs to ensure that the period of public support in respect of fees will be extended to cover the entire length of the course if a fee loan is given for a repeat period.

Hardship Funds and Other Sources of Support 

Following the removal of benefits for students, the Government made available some money to Universities to help with financial hardship faced by UK students. These are called Hardship Funds and exist to provide assistance to students who face special cases of financial hardship. In addition, students with dependant children may be eligible for a Childcare Grant, and students with disabilities may be eligible for a Disabled Student’s Allowance. Further information on the financial help that is available can be found on the Student Finance section of the Gov.uk website or from 'Your Money' section of the Student Services Centre website at the University of Surrey.

For more information on student finance, please visit the following websites: