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Student finance

Paying for a UCAS application: There is a fee for making an application for higher education. The amount depends upon how many courses, universities and colleges your son or daughter applies to. Find out more.

Going to university or college is one of the biggest investments anyone can make. Does your son or daughter know how much it is going to cost them and what help is available? The links below will help them find the information they need.

Most students do not need to pay any tuition fees up-front, as they could be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan. There are also grants and loans to help with living costs, such as rent, food, books, transport and entertainment. Further information can be found on Directgov.

Full-time students in England can apply online now for 2012 entry financial support at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance. They should apply online now to make sure their money is in place at the start of the course. It's quick and easy and they don't need to have a confirmed place - they just use their first choice of course and change it online at a later date if they need to. View more information.

Students in Wales and Northern Ireland can apply from March 2012 for 2012 entry support.

For an independent view of what it costs and what the new student finance arrangements mean for you, visit www.moneysavingexpert.com


The cost of studying in the UK for 2012 entry

Recent changes to policy on student finance arrangements and higher education funding mean many universities may be delayed in planning and confirming the courses they will be offering for 2012 entry and the fees they will charge.

For those home and EU students wishing to enter UK higher education from 1 September 2012, Course Search is now live. Fee information for all English and Welsh universities and colleges is available on Course Search - any questions about fees should be directed to the universities and colleges themselves. Fee information for Scottish and NI institutions has not yet been confirmed by the respective governments and will not appear on Course Search until such confirmation has been received.

It is likely that different institutions will charge different fees for similarly titled courses. Therefore it is important that you are clear on how much you will be paying for your course prior to submitting your application.

Maximum annual tuition charges for 2012 entry to a typical undergraduate degree

Table 1: Based on current knowledge

Domicile of student Location of institution

 England Scotland Wales NI
England Up to £9k Up to £9k Up to £9k Up to £9k
Scotland Up to £9k No fee Up to £9k Up to £9k
Wales Up to £9k* Up to £9k* Up to £9k* Up to £9k*
NI Up to £9k Up to £9k Up to £9k Up to £3,465
EU Up to £9k No fee Up to £9k* Up to £3,465
Other international Variable Variable Variable Variable
 

Notes:

The table above represents the maximum fee information at the current time. This table will be updated as and when any further information becomes available.

*The Welsh Government will allow Welsh students a maximum fee loan of £3,465 plus a new fee grant to account for the balance of the actual fee charged (up to £9k) wherever they study in the UK and for EU students planning to study in Wales only. This means that the subsidy will vary dependent on what the institution charges, eg, if an institution charges £7k, the fee grant will be £3,535. Welsh domiciled and EU students will therefore pay the same fees as other students for the course at their chosen institution, but will receive assistance from the Welsh Government towards the costs.

For more information on student finance in England, particularly around the type of financial support available, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills has launched a dedicated website (www.direct.gov.uk/yourfuture). A feature of this website is a repayment calculator which can provide you with an estimated monthly repayment figure, based on your eventual career. There are also published information sheets for full-time and part-time applicants, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.

For more information on student finance in Wales, visit the Student Finance Wales website.

As more detail becomes available on the cost of studying from 2012, we will publish the information on this page.

The National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) starts in September 2012. It gives financial help to students studying in higher education in England. The scheme is designed to help students whose families' income is £25,000 or less. NSP awards are in addition to any other loans or grants students might apply for.

Awards might include help with tuition fees, subsidised accommodation, a cash bursary or other help. Awards are paid by universities and colleges. Each university or college has its own rules about eligibility, and what types of awards are available.

Applicants should make sure they fully understand and meet the eligibility criteria of their chosen university or college before they apply. NSP awards will not be available to individuals who are ordinarily resident in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Other EU nationals will only be eligible for certain types of awards.

Directgov provides information on the funding offered by each university or college.


International and EU students

If your son or daughter is planning to study in the United Kingdom and wants to attend a publicly funded university or college, their fee status (whether they pay full-cost fees or a subsidised fee rate) will be determined by the UK institution they plan to attend. See the money matters page in the non-UK students' section for more information.

For 2012 entry, this will not change.

Student finance

Student finance enquiries
Student finance is not managed by UCAS and we cannot help with queries about it. Please see links below to organisations which can help you.

For more detail on the types of finance and financial support available for students, the following websites provide the most up-to-date information available.

England: Student Finance England
Parents can find out more about their role on the Direct Gov website

Wales: Student Finance Wales

Scotland: Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Northern Ireland: Student Finance Northern Ireland

You can also follow Student Finance England at twitter.com/sf_england and facebook.com/SFEngland. Student Finance England also runs regular student finance surgeries on Facebook and Twitter and provides a range of help tools to help walk you through what to do and when to do it. These resources include 'Key dates checklists' for applying and Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs), a range of 'How to' films, Facebook apps and a Student Finance Calculator. View more details.

There is help for students with disabilities known as Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) - see the students with disabilities page on this site.

Take a look at our online bookstore - we have a specific section about student finance where you can learn more about what's available to students. Go to the UCAS bookstore to find out more.

If your son or daughter is applying for a nursing or midwifery course in Scotland, read the PDF about support in 2011/12.

Managing money

Learning to manage your money at university or college requires planning. Your son or daughter will need to learn to budget and live within their means - this way they'll find it much easier to support themselves without leaving with a huge debt. Our Managing money section provides further tips and advice to help your son or daughter plan their finances.