Student Finance

 

If you are preparing to start University in the Autumn of 2026 you will be able to make your Student Finance Application in March 2026 (dates yet to be confirmed by Student Finance England)

Going to University is one of the biggest investments you can make in yourself and we realise that applying for student finance can be daunting and that you will have questions about what it will cost and what help is available to you. We will run Student Finance Information sessions in the Spring Term to help answer all your questions (and dispel a few myths around Student Finance).  In the meantime, this page will give you more information.

When applying for student finance you have the option to apply for two separate loans.  One which covers your tuition and one that you can use to cover other living costs – this is the maintenance loan.  You will be required to apply online and in most cases it is also necessary for your parents/carers to provide additional information such as household income.

 

Tuition Loan

A Tuition Fee loan (of up to £9,250 per year) is paid directly to your University once you are fully enrolled on your course – it is paid in September each year.  Everyone is entitled to the full tuition fee amount regardless of your household income.

 

Maintenance Loan

The Maintenance loan is provided to cover living costs, e.g. food, books, accommodation, transport etc. It is income based so you (or your parents/carers) will need to provide evidence of their income.

 

Bursaries & Scholarships

In addition to the Tuition and Maintenance Loans available to you, many Universities and colleges offer their own bursaries and scholarships.  They set their own eligibility criteria and often they do not need to be paid back.  Each university decides what support they will offer and to whom, so do your research.  It is always best to speak to the institution directly to find out if there is anything available.  You can also check out the Special Opportunities section on Unifrog to search for bursaries and scholarships linked to your subject or university of choice.

 

Making an Application

 

Loan Repayments

This information on loan repayments applies to students from England. You can get an idea of what your loan repayments could be using  Money Saving Expert loan repayment calculator.

 

Key Repayment Facts

  • Repayments are based on what you earn, not what you owe
  • Tuition fee and living cost loans repayments are combined
  • You will not start to make repayments until you earn over *£25,000 p.a. (before tax and other deductions)
  • If your income falls below the repayment threshold, your repayments stop until you start earning above it again
  • Any outstanding balance is written off after 40 years

Find out more about rates of interest and repaying your student loan.

 

Useful Links

 

If you have any other questions or queries please email the Sixth Form Team on sixthform@whickhamschool.org