Started your course in 2011 or before

Nursing degree and Allied Health Profession students

Student loan for maintenance

UK students and EU students who meet residency criteria, who are started a course in September 2006 or later, are able to apply for a student loan for living costs. The amount you are eligible for depends upon whether or not you are living at your parents' home, your household income and the size of Maintenance Grant you are eligible for.

Your student loan for living costs will be paid into your bank account three times a year at the beginning of each term.

• You do not have to apply for the maximum student loan. You may choose to take out less than your full entitlement and apply to the Student Loan Company later in the year for the remainder.
• Loans are repaid from the April after you graduate or leave your course and once you are earning over £15,000 pa (current figures). Interest rates are linked to inflation so that you repay to the actual value of what was borrowed.

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