Welcome to the HE Knowledge Hub podcast series. Episode 1 focuses on the hot topic of student finance with a guest speaker from the Student Loans Company.
Episode 1: Student Finance
Want more like this? See all episodes here
Show Notes
Terminology:
- Tuition Fees – the money that you pay to the university or college each year of study, currently (April 2021) it is up to £9,250 per year. The tuition fee loan is paid straight to your university or college, and doesn’t come to you first.
- Maintenance Loan – this is a loan to cover your living costs (including your accommodation) it is paid directly to you, in termly instalments.
- Threshold – we use this term to mean the amount you can earn before you start paying your loans back, currently £27,295 (although this does change).
- Disabled Students’ Allowance – you will have heard that there is a Disabled Student Allowance that you can apply for. You could be eligible for this if you have a disability that affects your ability to study. The list includes:
-
- learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or ADHD
- mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression
- physical disability, such as if you’re partially sighted or have to use crutches
- long-term health condition, such as cancer, chronic heart disease, or HIV
You can find out more here: https://www.ucas.com/student-finance-england/disabled-students-allowances#eligibility
Useful links
- Find out the latest information about student finance from us by visiting: https://nextstepssw.ac.uk/a-guide-to-student-finance/
- For the most up-to-date information about student finance visit Student Finance England’s (SFE) Quickstart Finance Guide: https://media.slc.co.uk/sfe/quickstartfinanceguide/index.html
- To apply for student loans, you can make your application via the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance
- For further information about what to do if your household income has changed since the date of the documentary evidence asked for: https://media.slc.co.uk/sfe/currentyearincome/index.html
- Do you want to know how much of a loan you could expect, visit the loan calculator page: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator
- For the most current and comprehensive information about the Disabled Student Allowance go to: https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa
- To see what funding there is from the NHS for certain healthcare courses go to: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/student-services
- Find out about scholarships and bursaries that could be available here: https://www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk/
Useful infographics (click to enlarge)
Additional links
We also recommend the following sites for impartial and up-to-date information about student finance:
- UCAS: https://www.ucas.com/finance/undergraduate-tuition-fees-and-student-loans
- Save the Student’s Big Fat Guide to Student Finance: https://www.savethestudent.org/student-finance/the-big-fat-guide-to-student-finance-2012.html
- The Student Room: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/student-finance/
- Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/
- Student Finance for Parents from UCAS: https://www.ucas.com/student-finance-england/student-finance-guidance-parents-and-partners
- For guidance videos Student Finance England have a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQvTND9RLlsIpEYirK-XMTA
Sound credits – https://www.bensound.com/