Finance for full-time students in 2012/2013 - getting started

If you’re doing a full-time higher education course, there’s money available to help with the costs. You won’t have to pay anything back until you’ve left your course and you’re earning - and you may qualify for support that doesn’t need to be paid back at all.

Study first, pay back when you’re earning

There’s a student finance package available to help with the costs of higher education. The main sources of help for full-time students are:

Student Loans and grants from the government
bursaries from universities and colleges

If you take out a Student Loan from the government, you won’t have to start paying it back until you’ve left your course and are earning more than £15,795 a year. And any help that you get through a grant or bursary doesn’t have to be repaid at all.

Who does this information apply to?

The pages within 'Student finance: what you can get for 2012/2013' outline the help available if you:

live in Northen Ireland, and
are a new student, or you started in or after 2006/2007

The package of financial help available will be different if you live outside Northern Ireland. It will also be different for students who started in 2005/2006 or earlier - and for some students who started in 2006/2007 after taking a gap year.

Student Loans from the government

you don't have to start repaying Student Loans until you’re earning £15,795

New, full-time higher education students - and those who started from 2006/2007 until 2011/2012 - could be eligible for student loans to cover the cost of tuition fees:

up to £3,465 if studying in Northern Ireland
up to £9,000 if studying in England, Scotland or Wales
a Student Loan to help towards accommodation and other living costs (up to £6,780 for 2012/2013)

The interest you pay is linked to inflation, so in real terms what you repay is broadly the same as what you borrowed. For further details please visit the Student Finance NI website.

studentfinanceni website

Grants to help with accommodation and other living costs

As well as Student Loans, you may be able to get a Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant to help with your accommodation and other living costs. You won’t have to pay this back. Grants of up to £3,475 are available for 2012/2013. Whether you can get one depends on your income - and your household income. For further details please visit the Student Finance NI website.

studentfinanceni website

Bursaries, scholarships and awards

Bursaries

You may be able to get extra help through a bursary - extra financial help from your university or college. Bursaries can be provided in a variety of ways - for example, as payments into your bank account or a discount on accommodation costs.

You don't have to pay bursaries back. Publicly-funded universities charging full tuition fees (£3,465 for 2012/2013) have to give you a bursary if you’re getting the full Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant.

Many universities and colleges are offering considerably more than the minimum. A typical bursary for a student receiving the full Maintenance Grant on a course charging the full tuition fees was around £1,000 in 2011/2012 academic year.

Extra help

Extra help is available for students with a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty, and for students with children or adult dependants. The Support Fund can provide help for students on low incomes who need extra financial support.

How do you know if you qualify for student finance?

Not everyone can qualify for the type of financial help described on this page. Both you and your course need to meet certain requirements - for example, you must meet some residency requirements, and your course must lead to a recognised higher education qualification.

How do you apply for student finance?

The fastest and easiest way is to apply online. Or you can get a form on paper, then fill it in and send it to your local Student Finance NI office. Follow the relevant link below for more details.