Government loans and funding 2023/24
Most UK students coming to university for the first time are entitled to government support for tuition fees and living costs. You can use the student finance calculator (gov.uk) to estimate your loans.
The figures below relate to the 2023/24 academic year. See our 2022/23 government loans and funding page for guidance on the 2022/23 academic year.
Tuition Fee Loans - no upfront fees
If you're a first-time UK student, you can apply online for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Student Loans Company to cover the cost of your tuition fees. Your fees will be paid directly to us.
- Tuition Fee Loan (gov.uk)
Maintenance Loans - help with living costs
If your funding body is Student Finance England, and you're a full-time student, you can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help with living expenses.
- Maintenance Loan (gov.uk)
Loan amounts for 2023/24 are not currently confirmed. For reference, loan amounts for 2022/23 entry were:
- £8,171 if you're living with your parents during term time
- £9,706 if you're living away from home outside London.
Maintenance Loan applications are currently not open for 2023/24 entry. Once available, the application page will be linked here.
Related links
Extra help
In addition to the maintenance loan you may qualify for extra help if any of the following apply to you:
- You have children or dependent adults
- You have a disability
- You're a medical or social work student.
Find out more about:
- Extra help (gov.uk)
Study abroad and placements
If you go on a year abroad, year in industry or placement year, you can still apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the reduced fee for that year. To find out how much Maintenance Loan you're entitled to, you should contact your student finance provider directly. You must tell your student finance provider that you'll be studying or working abroad.
For a study year abroad, you may also be able to apply for help with travel costs.
Nursing and midwifery students
If you're a nursing or midwifery student, the NHS Learning Support Fund (nhs.uk) provides extra help with the cost of travel to placements and the cost of child care.
You'll receive a Training Grant of at least £5,000 a year which doesn't need to be paid back.
- NHS Learning Support Fund (nhs.uk)
Applying
Your parents or partner provide details of their income, either online or on paper.
We recommend you apply early, as the assessment of household income can take some time to complete. You don't need a confirmed place at university or your exam results to apply for funding.
You'll need to re-apply for the loans each year of study.
Maintenance Loan applications are currently not open for 2023/24 entry. Once available, the application page will be linked here.
Repayments
Your Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan are added together to make one borrowed amount.
You don't start paying it back until you've left university and earning over £25,000 per year. This figure is updated in April every year.
You pay back 9% of everything you earn above the £25,000 threshold. For example:
- a person with an income of £30,000 per year will pay £20.29 per month
- a person with a salary of £40,000 a year will pay £95.29 a month.
If you haven't repaid the loan 40 years after you have left university, then any remaining debt will be written off.
- Repaying your student loan (gov.uk)
If you're from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
The loan rates and repayment processes are different if you're a student from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey) and the Isle of Man. Contact the relevant education authority for more information.
- Student Finance Wales
- Student Awards Agency for Scotland
- Student Finance NI
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Guernsey
If you're an EU national
EU nationals who are ordinarily resident in the UK may be eligible for student finance. Find out more:
- Brexit and the implications for EU students (ukcisa.org.uk)
Cost of living in York
Plan your budget.