Started your course in 2011 or before
Full-time undergraduate student from the UK
Full-time students from lower income families can apply for the Maintenance Grant, which does not need to be paid back.
Most eligible students will receive the Maintenance Grant, however you could qualify for the Special Support Grant if you receive Income Support or another means-tested benefit such as Housing Benefit/Local Housing Allowance. If you qualify, you'll receive either one of these grants or the other.
- Grants for students who started in 2009, 2010 or are starting in 2011
- Grants for students who started in 2008
- Grants for students who started in 2006 or 2007
- Applying for funding
Maintenance grant
Full-time students from lower income families starting courses in September 2011 or who started in 2009 or 2010, can apply for a Maintenance Grant worth up to £2,906 per year. Partial grants are available to those with a household income of between £25,001 and £50,020.
| Family income | Grant value a year |
|---|---|
| Up to £25,000 | £2,906 |
| £30,000 | £1,906 |
| £34,000 | £1,106 |
| £40,000 | £711 |
| £45,000 | £381 |
| £50,020 | £50 |
| More than £50,020 | No grant |
Your grant will be paid into your bank account three times a year at the beginning of each term.
Maintenance grant (students who started in 2008)
Full-time students from lower income families who started their courses in 2008 can apply for a Maintenance Grant worth up to £2,906 per year. Partial grants are available to those with a household income of between £25,001 and £60,032.
| Family income | Grant value a year |
|---|---|
| Up to £25,000 | £2,906 |
| £30,000 | £2,053 |
| £34,459 | £1,292 |
| £40,000 | £1,023 |
| £50,000 | £538 |
| £60,032 | £50 |
| More than £60,032 | No grant |
Your grant will be paid into your bank account three times a year at the beginning of each term.
Maintenance grant (students who started in 2006 or 2007)
Full-time students from lower income families who started their courses in 2006 or 2007 can apply for a Maintenance Grant worth up to £2,906 per year. Partial grants are available to those with a household income of between £18,361 and £39,333.
| Family income | Grant value a year |
|---|---|
| Up to £18,360 | £2,906 |
| £20,000 | £2,627 |
| £25,000 | £1,773 |
| £27,819 | £1,292 |
| £30,000 | £1,057 |
| £35,000 | £518 |
| £39,333 | £50 |
| More than £39,333 | No grant |
Your grant will be paid into your bank account three times a year at the beginning of each term.
Applying for funding
You can apply for student loans for tuition fees and for living costs, grants and other forms of government help from around March each year. Additional financial support is available to students with disabilities and students with children and other dependants.
You should apply for student finance once you have applied for a place at university or college, don't wait until you are offered a place on a course. No fee loans will be granted/confirmed without a National Insurance number, so you will need to provide this when you complete your application for student finance. Your student finance application should be made online via one of the links below depending on where you live:
- England: Student Finance England
- Northern Ireland: Student Finance Northern Ireland
- Scotland: Student Awards Agency for Scotland
- Wales: Student Finance Wales
