Finance
Almost all students pay their fees by taking out a Student Loan, this starts being repayable when you have completed your course and when your earnings rise over £25,000 per year. When you are earning above this you will only pay back 9% of anything you earn over £25,000.
What you pay is linked to what you earn not what you owe. If you never earn over £25,000 you never pay anything back. Any outstanding loans will be written off after 40 years!
Please note that these figures only apply to students who started their Higher Education course from August 1st 2023.
You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance England at the same time as applying for other maintenance grants and loans. The amount you pay will then be deducted from your salary by your employer in the same way they deduct tax and national insurance payments.
Below is a table showing how those repayments work out.
| Your income per year | Monthly repayments |
|---|---|
| £25,000 | No repayments |
| £30,000 | £37.50 |
| £40,000 | £75.00 |
| £50,000 | £187.50 |
| £60,000 | £262.50 |
How do student loans work and am I eligible
Eligible students studying their first Higher Education funded course do not have to pay any tuition fees upfront. Instead, Tuition Fee Loans are available to UK and EU students. These are repayable after you graduate or leave your course and earn over £25,000 a year. For more information, please visit: www.gov.uk/browse/education/student-finance
Information regarding either funding source is subject to change, so it is important that you check the websites below for the latest information:
Some students will pay their tuition fees, or their employer may pay. However, most full-time and some part-time Higher Education courses will be funded via a Student Loan, whilst some other courses (for example Access to Higher Education) may be covered by an Advanced Learning Loan. In either case, the loan is paid back via your salary when you are earning £25,000 per annum or more.
For further information about Tuition Fee Loans eligibility, applications and repayments visit the Student Loans Company website at: www.slc.co.uk.
Supporting your study
There may be ways in which we can support your learning. If you are finding it hard to cover the costs of any materials associated with your course or travelling to UCR, please contact our Student Services team on 01709 722823 as support may be available for you to cover these costs.
Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS)
This is an independent agency which may be able to help people get funding for further or higher education if they do not quality for government finding. For more information visit the EGAS website or call 020 7254 6251.
Student Loans
Tuition Fee Loans
Our full-time courses and some of our part-time courses are eligible for funding via the Student Loans Company, and this is how most of our students fund their tuition fees.
Student loans are repayable from the April following the completion of your course and when your earnings rise above £25,000 per year. This will be deducted from your salary in the same way that tax and national insurance payments are deducted.
For more information on eligibility, the application process and repayment, please visit www.slc.co.uk
Maintenance Loans
You may be eligible for loans and grants to support with living costs during your studies. For more information on eligibility, the application process, potential grants and repayment, please visit the Student Loans Company website.
For more information on eligibility, the application process, potential grants and repayment, please visit www.slc.co.uk.
Advanced Learner Loans
Advanced Learner Loans are tuition fee loans designed for students aged 19 or above*, who are undertaking eligible Level 3 to Level 6 courses. This funding route may be an option for students applying for one of the Level 3 Access to Higher Education courses. More information about the Advanced Learner Loans can be found at: www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan
For students who can’t access tuition fee loans, we offer flexible repayment options.
*If you are aged 19 – 23 years old and studying your first Level 3, there will be no cost for the course.
Other Support
Childcare Grant
Full-time Higher Education students with children can apply for a Childcare Grant to help with childcare costs for children under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs. You must be eligible for student finance to apply for a Childcare Grant. For further information and eligibility criteria, please visit www.gov.uk/childcare-grant
For students to be eligible for funding from Student Finance England, they must be studying on an eligible course at a provider registered with the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS is the new independent regulator for Higher Education in England and all Higher Education providers need to register with the OfS for their students to be eligible for student support in the 2019-20 academic year. The OfS will start publishing providers on its Register from July 2018. We have made an application to register and expect a decision by September 2018. No provider will be able to confirm whether student support is available until it has a decision from the OfS. Visit www.officeforstudents.org.uk for more information.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)
It may be possible to receive financial support to cover any additional study related costs you encounter. If you have a sensory or physical disability, a medical condition, mental health difficulty or a specific learning disability, such as Dyslexia or Dyspraxia, you may qualify to apply for support. DSA is available to both new and existing students, full-time or part-time and has no age limit. It may be able to support top-up costs for laptop purchases. If you qualify for DSA then you will need to have a DSA Needs Assessment to establish the support you will require on your course. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply for DSA.
Once you have received your letter from the funding body advising you that you are now approved for funding, you will need to arrange a needs assessment appointment. To locate an assessment centre search for “DSA assessment centre” in your preferred search engine, then enter your full residential or college/university postcode in the ‘Your Full Postcode’ field. Once you have entered a postcode, please select ‘Search’.
Your search will display assessment centres and outreach centres, you can receive a needs assessment at both types of centres. You can choose to attend the DSA-QAG registered centre that is most convenient to access. However, bear in mind that other centres may also be able to offer an earlier/more convenient appointment time.
HE Hardship Fund
Students who are struggling financially throughout the year may be eligible for hardship support. This is a one-off payment to support in times of need. To be eligible, students must have all means of financial support through Student Finance England in place and will need to provide evidence of household income.
More HE Hardship Support information
College Bursary
Level 3 Access to Higher Education Diploma students across all of our Colleges and University Centre Rotherham can apply to be supported with additional costs associated with learning e.g. travel and equipment.
Contact us
Find out more about financial support:
Call us on 01709 722777 or email bursary@rnngroup.ac.uk