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Please view our most commonly asked questions and find out where to find the answers
Some information is also shown below
You should apply as soon as possible after applying for your course. If you apply late, you may not get your money in time for the start of term. You can apply from March 2008 but should return your form no later than 27 June 2008 (new students) or 23 May 2008 (current students) to receive payment on time. Applicants for non means tested support should return their form by 25 April 2008. Applications received after the deadline will be processed within 6 weeks of receipt.
You can apply on-line or download forms from Direct.gov - Student Finance.
If you are abroad you can apply on-line but you will need to send some documentary evidence before your application can be approved.
All students entering higher education in Autumn 2009 will apply to a central application unit for student finance. Further details should be available on the website in Autumn 2008.
For general questions about student finance and how to apply, you can contact the Student Loans Company’s Customer Support Office (08456 077577), Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5.30pm.
For detailed questions about your entitlement to help, contact us on 0845 0023840 or 01244 973840 or the DfES helpline on 01325 392822.
You can also use the on-line services at www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk to ask questions.
Once you have applied, you will be issued with a unique 11 character ART ID number which will be quoted on all correspondence you receive
We will assess your entitlement based on your completed application and will send you a notification showing the amount of financial help you will receive. You should receive this within six weeks of submitting your application.
For new students starting from 2005/2006 the income of their parent's cohabiting partner would also be required for means tested support.
The maximum amount of maintenance loan that you can get in 2008 / 09 is;
- £4,625 for students living away from home
- £6,475 for students in London and living away from home
- £3,580 for students living at home
75% of the maximum loan is available to all eligible students regardless of any other income they have. Whether you can get any or all of the remaining 25% depends on your income and that of your family.
The Student Loans Company (SLC) will usually pay your loan and other grants in three instalments (at the start of each term). Instalments will normally be paid direct into your bank or building society account. You will receive a payment schedule from the SLC which tells you how you will get your money. Any help with tuition fees will be paid direct to your college by the SLC.
Payments are normally made at the start of the term. In order to ensure you get a payment at the start of the first term, it is important that you apply on time to us (by 27 June 2008 for new students or 23 May 2008 for current students). Applicants for non-means tested support should return their form by 25 April 2008. Once you register at the start of term, your university will notify the Student Loans Company (SLC) that you have done so. The SLC will make payments straight into your bank or building society account.
You will be liable to begin making repayments on your loan from the April after you leave your course. For those leaving higher education in April 2008 or later If you pay tax through PAYE your employer will be required to make deductions from your salary once you earn over the repayment threshold of £15,000 a year. If you are self employed you will be required to make your repayments with your tax return.
Your repayments will be calculated at 9% of your income over the £15,000 threshold. For example, someone with an income of £18,000 a year would be liable to repay 9% of £3,000, or £270 a year. Someone else earning £20,000 a year would be liable to repay £450 a year or £37.50 a month. It is also possible to make extra voluntary repayments in order to speed up the repayment process.
Students who are due to start repaying their student loan on or after April 2012 may be entitled to take a break from their loan repayments of up to 5 years.
Details of how the loan repayment process works can be found in the booklet ‘Student Loans; Guidance on Terms and Conditions’. You can get a copy of this booklet from our information line on 0800 731 9133. Further information is also on the Direct.gov website.
Please note; A revised terms and conditions booklet is published each April.
New Students: Universities and colleges offering HE courses in England will be allowed to vary the amount of fees they charge new students. Institutions will be able to charge between zero and £3,145 for the 2008 / 09 academic year.
You will not be required to pay fees before you start your course or while you are studying, although you can do so if you wish. You can apply for an additional loan to cover the cost of these fees. This will give you the advantage of not having to find this money from elsewhere and the fees will be paid directly to your institution. You would then repay the fee loan in the same way as your other student loan - only once you have finished studying and are earning over the repayment threshold of £15,000 per year.
English domiciled students studying in the UK but outside England will be charged fees as stipulated by the appropriate devolved administration and will be entitled to take a loan to cover the costs of their tuition fees.
"Existing" Students (mostly pre-2006 starters) will not pay variable fees but will be able to take out a tuition fee loan to over their personal contribution towards their fixed rate tuition fee. For example, a fixed fee of £1,255 with an assessed personal contribution of £500 would allow the student to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £500. The remaining £755 would be paid to the institution via a tuition fee grant. If the student does not take out a fee loan for any fee they are expected to pay, they will have to pay the institution direct at the start of the year.
The rules on entitlement to support for students who have attended a previous course have changed. If you have obtained an Honours degree, no further support will be available for tuition fees or a maintenance loan/grant. There are however special provisions for students studying for a professional qualification such as medicine, veterinary science, social worker or dentist. Supplementary grants for dependants or a disabled student allowance may still be payable.
Otherwise, support will generally be considered for the length of the new course plus one year, reduced by the number of years previously attended (a part year is treated as a whole year). Any shortfalls would mean that you would be ineligible for fee / maintenance grant support for the initial period but can still apply for other elements of support including a loan for living costs.
New Maintenance Grant
From 2006 new full time students from lower income households will be eligible for the new non-repayable Maintenance Grant which is worth up to £2835 (2008 / 09). How much a student will get will depend on their income and that of their household. Different thresholds apply for students who start university in 2008. If that income is:
- £25,000 or less they will receive the full £2835 grant
- A partial grant will be payable where household income is between £25,000 and £60,000.
Post graduate initial teacher training students will be eligible for a non means tested grant of up to £1,260. In both cases, up to £1,260 of the new grant will be paid in substitution for part of the student loan for maintenance.
Special Support Grant
For specified categories of student (e.g. lone parents, part of a student couple with children, student in receipt of certain disability benefits) this will be paid instead of the maintenance grant described above. It is assessed in the same way but does not reduce the amount of maximum loan available.
Extra help may be available if you are disabled or have dependents. If you attend clinical training for a medical / dental course or have to attend an educational institution outside the UK for at least 8 continuous weeks, you may qualify for some help towards travel costs (means tested applicants only). Contact the customer service office for an application form. Details of the extra help available in 2008 / 09 will be on the Direct.gov website when available.
Extra help, from the Access to Learning Fund may also be available from your college or university. The fund provides extra financial help for students on low incomes who are experiencing financial difficulties. Contact the admissions tutors or student support service at your university or college for further details.
I want to study part time. What help is available for me?
More details on help available for part time students can be accessed at Direct.gov - Student Finance. It explains the help you can get with fees (up to £1,180 for 75% of a full time course) and with course costs (up to £255). Disabled part time students may also be eligible for a Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
What if I change course or university/college?
You should tell us of any changes as soon as possible. A change of course or university/college might affect whether you are able to get financial help and how much you can get. A change of circumstances form is available from http://www.direct.gov.uk |