Student Support and Benefits Handbook 2021/22Part 1: Student support Chapter 2: Undergraduate student support: England
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Chapter 2: Undergraduate student support: England
There are different systems of undergraduate student support in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. See Chapter 3 for details of the system in Wales, Chapter 4 for Northern Ireland and CPAG’s Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook for details of the system in Scotland.
Students living in England who wish to study in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland receive the same package of support as though they were studying in England.
Basic facts
– Undergraduate students can apply for a mixture of grants and loans, depending on their personal circumstances.
– The type of financial support available depends on several factors, including when the course starts, its length, the discipline and whether the course is full time or part time.
– Separate provision is available for social work, initial teacher training and some healthcare students.
– Institutions have funds to help students in hardship and to support retention and progression.
Future changes
The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 introduced some significant changes to the higher education sector, including changes to the regulator from HEFCE to the Office for Students (OfS). However, the proposal of different rates of fees, directly linked to institutional outcomes of the Teaching Excellence Framework, has been put on hold until an independent review has taken place. The Act also allows the introduction of an alternative student finance product that is compliant with Islamic finance laws. The timetable for its introduction is still unclear.
Arrangements during the coronavirus pandemic
For 2020/21 and 2021/22, the Department for Education announced several temporary adjustments to student support arrangements in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The majority of these related to not being able to travel due to Covid and the associated loan rates. It has been confirmed that these will not continue in the 2022/23 academic year.
Contact an adviser in your students’ union, university or college if you need further guidance.
1. Full-time undergraduates
Full-time undergraduates in England on eligible courses (see here), and who are personally eligible (see below), can apply for financial assistance from the Department for Education (DfE). Funding is administered by Student Finance England on its behalf. There have been a number of changes to student funding and support over the last 10 years, so the tuition fees you can be charged and the support you can receive for both your fees and living costs depend on when you started your course.
Separate provision is available for part-time undergraduates (see here) and students studying vocational courses (see Chapter 6).
Who is eligible for support
To receive any type of student support, you must be ‘personally eligible’ by meeting residence conditions (see below) and be studying an eligible course (see here).
Residence conditions
To be eligible for support, you must meet residence conditions.1Sch 1 Part 2 E(SS) Regs This usually means that you must:
    •be settled in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971 (this includes those with British citizenship, right of abode or indefinite leave to enter/remain in the UK); and
    •be resident in England on the first day of the first academic year; and
    •have lived in the ’UK and islands’2‘Islands’ in this context are the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. for three years (see below for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals) immediately before the start of the course, although temporary absences for reasons such as vacations or temporary employment abroad can be disregarded. Service abroad in the regular UK armed forces is always disregarded; and
    •not have spent any of the three years in the ’UK and islands’ mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education. If you were in full-time education during the three years, you can still receive support if you can prove this was not the main reason for your being in the UK.
Following a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2016, you are also eligible if you are currently resident in England and:3Sch 1 para 13 E(SS) Regs
    •you are either under 18 and have spent seven years living in the UK prior to the start of the course or you are 18 and over and have spent at least half your life (or at least 20 years) living in the UK; and
    •you have had three years’ lawful residence in the UK prior to the start of the course for purposes other than full-time education.
If you meet the residence conditions, you are known as a ‘home student for funding purposes’. You are charged lower fees than students from overseas and you qualify for full student support, including loans for fees and maintenance, for courses which start on or after 1 August 2016.
Residency rules have changed considerably following the UK departure from the EU and are very complex. If you are unsure whether or not you are eligible, speak to an adviser in your institution or students’ union.
European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss nationals
Following the result of the Brexit referendum, if you are a European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national and starting a course in 2022/23, you can count as a home student and be eligible for support with both tuition fees and living costs, if you:
    •arrived in the UK by 31 December 2020;
    •are resident in England or Wales on the first day of the first academic year;
    •have applied for residency under the new EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by 30 June 2021; and
    •have been awarded settled status under the EUSS. As a general rule this will be awarded to those who have been resident in the UK for five years or longer, although exceptions to this five-year rule do apply.
    •To qualify for maintenance support, you must still meet the three-year ordinary residency rule.
Note: Irish nationals do not need to apply for EU settled status because, under the Common Travel Area, they are automatically ‘settled’ as soon as they arrive in the UK. However, they need to have been resident in the UK or islands for three years on the first day of the first year of the course to be eligible for full funding. Irish nationals with less than three years residency can apply for a tuition fee loan.
Those with less than five years’ residency in the UK are, in general, awarded pre-settled status when they apply under the EUSS, which means they can receive a tuition fee loan but no support with living costs. In both cases students need to provide evidence of their settled or pre-settled status when they apply for funding, and they can do this by providing a share code that is generated on the gov.uk website.
The DfE has stated that students from EU/EEA countries who started their courses in 2020/21 or earlier, and who have been assessed as eligible for funding under the current rules for EU/EEA students, will continue to receive funding as normal until they complete their course. However, if students change course they will be required to evidence eligibility under the new rules.
These new rules also apply to certain ‘relevant family members’ of EU/EEA (and in some cases UK) nationals but, as each situation is slightly different, you are advised to seek advice from the university or college where you intend to study.
The European Economic Area
The ’European Economic Area’ (EEA) comprises the member states of the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. T
he current member states of the EU are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Relevant family member
A ’relevant family member’ includes children, grandchildren, a spouse or civil partner or, in some cases, dependent direct ’ascendants’, such as parents or grandparents. If you are an eligible direct descendant of an EEA worker who is no longer working in the UK, you may still be eligible for student support if you came to the UK to accompany your parent.
If a new country joins the EU, it is considered to have always been in the EEA when determining the three- or five-year period. For example, although Croatia joined the EU on 1 July 2013, it is regarded as having always been part of the EEA for the purposes of assessing support.
Migrant workers
If you are a non-UK, EU, EEA or Swiss migrant worker and are, or have been, working in the UK (employed, self-employed or as a frontier worker), or you are a ‘relevant family member’ (see above) of such a migrant worker, you may be eligible for support with both tuition fees and living costs as a home student. The rules are different for those continuing on a course and those starting in the 2022/23 year. Continuing students will continue to be assessed as they were previously. To be eligible as a new student you must have arrived in the UK by 31 December 2020 and been awarded a settled or pre-settled status under the settlement scheme. You must also be resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of the course and have three years’ residence in the UK, EEA, Gibraltar and/or Switzerland.
If you are a UK national or the relevant family member of a UK national and have been living in another EEA country, Gibraltar or Switzerland and you return to the UK to study, you may be eligible for support as a home student if you were ordinarily resident and settled in the UK immediately prior to leaving, and you are now settled and ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You or your family member must have been resident in another EEA country, Switzerland or Gibraltar as a student, worker, self-sufficient or self-employed person for the three years before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. You must apply for support in the part of the UK in which you were living before you left.4Sch 1 para 8 E(SS) Regs It is likely that this extended provision will remain in place for courses starting up 31 December 2027.
If you are the child of a Turkish migrant worker, you can also pay home fees and receive support in certain circumstances. Continuing students will be assessed under existing rules. New entrants need to have arrived in the UK (both student and parents) by the end of the transition period of 31 December 2020, been ordinarily resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of the course, and been allowed by the Home Office to temporarily extend their leave. Note: there is no provision in the withdrawal agreement for Turkish nationals and therefore these applicants will now need another form of immigration permission. The worker must also be lawfully employed. You will also need to have been ordinarily resident in the UK, EEA, Switzerland, Gibraltar and/or Turkey for the three years before the start of the course.5Sch 1 para 12 E(SS) Regs
If you are the child of a Swiss worker exercising Citizen’s Rights in the UK as a worker, student, self-employed or self-sufficient person, you may qualify for student support if you have been resident in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA or Switzerland for the three years before the first day of the first academic year of your course and are resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You will need to provide evidence of your settled or pre-settled status when you apply for your funding. If, during the three years, your main purpose for being in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA or Switzerland was for full-time education, you must have been ordinarily resident before this date.
Note: Student Finance England checks the ‘worker’ status of either the student or relevant family member each term before releasing the next term’s payment.
Refugees
If you are recognised as a refugee by the UK government and have lived in the ’UK and islands’ since being granted this status, or you are a ’relevant family member’ of such a person (see here), you should be treated as a home student and be eligible for support with both your tuition fees and living costs (see here–here).6Sch 1 para 4 E(SS) Regs
If you applied for asylum and have been granted humanitarian protection or discretionary (or exceptional) leave, you may be treated as a home student for support purposes. If you have been given humanitarian protection, this need not have been by the first day of the first academic year but you must have had lawful residence before your humanitarian protection was granted.
If you have discretionary (or exceptional) leave:7Sch 1 para 17 E(SS) Regs
    •and are under 18, you must have lived in the UK for at least seven years on the first day of the first academic year of the course;
    •and are 18 or over, you must have lived in the UK for either half your life, or 20 years, on the first day of the first academic year of your course. Note: you cannot add separate periods of residency together to make up this period;
    •in all cases, your residency must have been lawful and you must have had ordinary residence for three years before the first day of the first academic year of the course.
Residency is complex and you should speak to an adviser in your student union or university.
 
1     Sch 1 Part 2 E(SS) Regs »
2     ‘Islands’ in this context are the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. »
3     Sch 1 para 13 E(SS) Regs »
4     Sch 1 para 8 E(SS) Regs »
5     Sch 1 para 12 E(SS) Regs »
6     Sch 1 para 4 E(SS) Regs »
7     Sch 1 para 17 E(SS) Regs »
What is an eligible course
To be eligible for support, broadly the course must be full time (as defined by the education provider) and be:1Reg 5 and Sch 2 E(SS) Regs
    •a first degree (including foundation degrees);
    •a diploma of higher education;
    •a BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND);
    •a course of initial teacher training;
    •a course for the further training of teachers, or youth or community workers;
    •a course to prepare for certain professional examinations of a standard higher than A level, or HNC/HND where a first degree is not required for entry;
    •a course not higher than a first degree, but higher than those described in the above bullet point.
Note: some courses, particularly in art and design, can require students to undertake a foundation year or course. This is different from a foundation degree. A foundation course is normally a course of one academic year in length which you would normally be required to complete before you are offered a place on a higher education degree course.
Support for these foundation courses is often limited, as they do not usually come within the definition of ‘higher education’. You may be eligible for support as a further education student (see Chapter 1). Speak to an adviser in your students’ union or institution for further guidance.
Some courses, particularly in science, engineering or technology, can have an integrated foundation year which forms part of the higher education course, and these consequently attract higher education funding. If in doubt about your entitlement, speak to an adviser.
Pre-registration courses in subjects allied to healthcare, such as nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy and radiography, are eligible for standard funding from Student Finance England if the course began on or after 1 August 2017. Previously, such courses were funded via NHS bursaries, but these have now been abolished for most new students (see here). Funding for these courses is available even if you already hold a degree or have had previous experience of higher education (see here). Some additional support is available through the NHS in certain circumstances (see Chapter 6).
 
1     Reg 5 and Sch 2 E(SS) Regs »
Which system of student support applies
The student support to which you are entitled depends on when you started your course. In this Handbook:
    •students who started their course in the 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15 or 2015/16 academic year are referred to as ‘2012 cohort’ students; and
    •students who started their course in the 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 or 2022/23 academic year are referred to as ‘2016 cohort’ students.
Students in the 2012 cohort can apply for a package of support, which includes:
    •a loan for tuition fees (see here);
    •either a maintenance grant (see here) or special support grant (see here);
    •a loan for living costs (see here);
    •supplementary grants in particular circumstances (see here).
2016 cohort students can apply for a package of support, which includes:
    •a loan for tuition fees (see here);
    •a loan for living costs, including an enhanced rate for those eligible for benefits (see here);
    •supplementary grants in particular circumstances (see here).
This Handbook only covers information for 2012 and 2016 cohorts; if you started your course before the 2012/13 academic year, speak to an adviser in your students’ union for details of the support available if you are still in study - for loan repayment information, see here.
Previous study
If you have previously attended a higher education course, the amount of support you can receive on any subsequent course may be affected.1Regs 21-23 E(SS) Regs
If you hold an honours degree and are studying for a new qualification, unless you are covered by one of the exceptions (see below), you can only apply for a supplementary grant for travel costs, a grant for any dependants and a grant for disability-related costs.2Regs 20, 56, 60 and 67 E(SS) Regs You are not entitled to any other kind of support. This is regardless of where in the world you may have studied previously and how your first course was funded.
In addition, if you wish to study for a qualification of an equivalent or lower level to the one you already hold, financial support may be further restricted. Check your entitlement with an adviser.
There are some exceptions.
    •Students who hold an honours degree or master’s qualification and are undertaking an initial teacher training course of no more than two years full time or four years part time that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS) will receive full funding as long as they do not already have QTS.
    •Students undertaking a further undergraduate course in certain professional subjects, such as medicine, veterinary science, architecture and social work, can receive a loan for their living costs,3Reg 67 E(SS) Regs although not a loan for tuition fees or a maintenance or special support grant, if applicable. For further details of medicine and dentistry courses, see here.
    •From the 2017/18 year, students domiciled in England who wish to start a pre-registration course in a subject allied to healthcare, such as nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy or radiography, have any previous study disregarded, including any previous degree awards. They can therefore apply for full support, subject to the usual rules on residency and income.4Regs 12(4A) and 13(2A) E(SS) Regs
    •Students who started healthcare courses before 2017/18 and who are eligible for a means-tested NHS bursary continue to be eligible for a reduced-rate loan, whether or not they already hold an equivalent or higher level qualification.
If you do not already hold an honours degree, but have studied before, in general the maximum number of years of tuition fee loan and maintenance or special support grant funding you can receive is equivalent to the ordinary length of your course plus one year, less any years of study previously undertaken.5Regs 20 and 21 E(SS) Regs If you have studied part of a year, you are treated as if you have undertaken a full year of study. Loans for living costs are, however, unaffected.
If you are transferring courses, or undertaking an ’end-on’ course (topping up from one qualification to another), these previous study rules affect you. You may be able to secure additional years of ’full’ funding if you were unable to complete a previous year or course for ’compelling personal reasons’, such as illness or caring responsibilities.6Regs 19(10) and 30(2) E(SS) Regs You must provide evidence to Student Finance England.
Further information on previous study is available from gov.uk/student-finance or from your student adviser.
 
1     Regs 21-23 E(SS) Regs »
2     Regs 20, 56, 60 and 67 E(SS) Regs »
3     Reg 67 E(SS) Regs »
4     Regs 12(4A) and 13(2A) E(SS) Regs »
5     Regs 20 and 21 E(SS) Regs »
6     Regs 19(10) and 30(2) E(SS) Regs »
Loan for tuition fees
All students are charged tuition fees for each year of their course. The amount you are charged depends on where you study, whether your institution has an approved ‘access and participation plan’ with the Office for Students, whether your institution received a rating of ‘meets expectations’ under the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, and which cohort of students you are in.
Publicly funded institutions can charge 2012 and 2016 cohort students tuition fees of up to £9,250 per academic year in 2022/23 (or up to £6,000 per year if they do not have an approved ‘access and participation plan’).
If you choose to study outside England, the same fees and funding arrangements apply: you may be charged up to £9,250 a year to study in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
If you are undertaking a sandwich (work placement) year, fees are restricted to 20 per cent of the maximum fee (you can be charged a maximum of £1,850). If you are on an overseas study year, fees are restricted to 15 per cent of the maximum fee (£1,385 per year).
Note: if you transfer from one course or institution to another, this may affect the fee you are charged. Speak to an adviser if this affects you.
If you are a home (see here) or EU student and have either EU settled or pre-settled status, you can apply for a loan to cover all, or part, of the cost of the fees.1Reg 19 E(SS) Regs Your income is not assessed for this. There is no requirement to take out a tuition fee loan. If you wish, you can pay all, or part of, the fee in advance. Your institution generally expects some indication of how you intend to pay your fees when you register.
The repayment terms of a tuition fee loan are the same as for an income-contingent loan for living costs (see here).
 
1     Reg 19 E(SS) Regs »
Medicine and dentistry students
There are different fee arrangements for medicine and dentistry students, depending on whether you are undertaking a standard five-year undergraduate medicine or dentistry course, or the four-year graduate entry course.1Letter from David Willetts and Andrew Lansley to the British Medical Association, 28 June 2011
If you are on a standard five-year undergraduate course, you pay fees at the rate charged by the institution until the fifth year of study, after which you move to the NHS bursary scheme (see Chapter 6). The NHS then pays your fees in the fifth and any subsequent years. For example, if you started in 2012/13 or later your maximum fee is £9,250 in years one to four, in line with other students, and is paid in the fifth and subsequent years by the NHS.
If you started a four-year graduate entry course in 2012/13 or later, the maximum fee is £9,250 a year. In your first year, you must pay the first £3,465 of your fees. A student loan is available to cover any amount charged above this level. In your second and subsequent years, the NHS pays the first £3,465 (rising with inflation), and a student loan for fees is available for any amount charged above this.
Note: different arrangements for both standard five-year undergraduate and graduate-entry students may be introduced for those starting in 2022/23 or later. Check with your institution.
Students who hold an honours degree and who wish to study the standard undergraduate course do not have access to fee support until they reach the NHS bursary-funded stage of the course in year five.
 
1     Letter from David Willetts and Andrew Lansley to the British Medical Association, 28 June 2011 »
Maintenance grant
A maintenance grant is available to pre-2016 cohort students from low-income backgrounds.1Reg 56 E(SS) Regs This grant is for your living costs. The maximum amount in 2022/23 is £4,009 if you are in the 2012 cohort.2Regs 57, 58 and 60 E(SS) Regs
Part of the grant substitutes part of the loan for living costs (see below). How this is done depends on which cohort you are in.
Students in the 2012 cohort receive a maximum payment of £4,009. You will have 50 pence of the loan substituted for every pound of maintenance grant paid, so that the maximum substitution is £2,004 if the full maintenance grant is paid.3Reg 76 E(SS) Regs
If you are eligible for means-tested benefits, the maintenance grant is taken into account as income when working out your entitlement, so if possible, make sure you apply for the special support grant instead (see below). An adviser in your university can help you with this.
 
1     Reg 56 E(SS) Regs »
2     Regs 57, 58 and 60 E(SS) Regs »
3     Reg 76 E(SS) Regs »
Special support grant
A special support grant is available to students who started their courses before 1 September 2016 and who are eligible for means-tested benefits, such as universal credit (UC), income support and housing benefit.1Reg 61 E(SS) Regs The maximum amount in 2022/23 is £4,009 for the 2012 cohort.2Regs 62, 63 and 65 E(SS) Regs This grant is intended for course-related costs and is not taken into account as income when working out your entitlement to means-tested benefits.
The special support grant does not have a loan substitution and can be paid in addition to the loan for living costs (see below).
 
1     Reg 61 E(SS) Regs »
2     Regs 62, 63 and 65 E(SS) Regs »
Loan for living costs
In addition to a loan for tuition fees, eligible students can also apply for a loan to help with their living costs, such as food and rent. Unlike the loan for tuition fees, part of the loan for living costs depends on an income assessment (see here). This varies, depending on which cohort you are in (see here). You may be entitled to an additional amount of loan if your course exceeds 30 weeks and three days in the year (see here).
Note: ‘mortgage-style loans’ were available to students who were eligible to receive mandatory awards before 1998. These are no longer available, but see here for information on repayment.
Because students starting in 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020, 2021 or 2022 (2016 cohort students) are not eligible for a maintenance grant or a special support grant, they can get a larger loan. Students who are aged over 60 on the first day of the first academic year of their course can receive a means-tested, reduced-rate loan of £4,106 if they are not entitled to a standard maintenance loan because of their age.1Reg 80C E(SS) Regs
Students who would have previously been entitled to the special support grant and are entitled to a means-tested benefit can receive a higher amount of loan, part of which is called the ‘special support element’. This is disregarded when working out student income for benefit purposes. If you declare that you are eligible for benefits when you apply for your funding, you should be awarded this. You are then asked to provide evidence you are eligible for benefits to Student Finance England.
If you are unsure about your eligibility or whether you are receiving the correct amount of loan, speak to an adviser in your university or students’ union.
Maximum amount of loan for living costs 2022/23
2016 cohort, eligible for benefits2Reg 80B E(SS) Regs
Full-year special support element
Maintenance element
Final-year
special support element
Final-year maintenance element
London
£4,106
£9,709
£4,106
£8,841
Elsewhere
£4,106
£6,958
£4,106
£6,470
Parental home
£4,106
£5,534
£4,106
£5,085
Overseas rate
£4,106
£8,268
£4,106
£7,184
2016 cohort, not eligible for benefits3Reg 80A E(SS) Regs
Full year
Final year
London
£12,667
£11,736
Elsewhere
£9,706
£9,179
Parental home
£8,171
£7,689
Overseas rate
£11,116
£9,950
2012 cohort4Reg 76 E(SS) Regs
Full year
Final year
London
£9,708
£8,842
Elsewhere
£6,958
£6,470
Parental home
£5,534
£5,084
Overseas rate
£8,267
£7,185
 
1     Reg 80C E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 80B E(SS) Regs »
3     Reg 80A E(SS) Regs »
4     Reg 76 E(SS) Regs »
Long courses loan
You may be entitled to an additional amount of loan for any extra weeks of attendance over the standard 30 weeks and three days. Your institution can clarify whether your course has additional weeks.
Note the long courses loan is treated differently in the income assessment to the standard maintenance loan (see here). Any additional amount is paid with other forms of support at the start of each term, and is repaid in the same way as other student loan debt.
The table below shows the amount paid for each week your course exceeds the standard length. If your course is 45 weeks or more, you are paid for a full 52 weeks of attendance. However, you will not be eligible for a long courses loan for any extra weeks that fall in the same quarter of the year as the long vacation.
Amount of long courses loan 2022/231Reg 81 E(SS) Regs
Weekly amount
London
£134
Elsewhere
£104
Parental home
£69
Overseas rate
£144
 
1     Reg 81 E(SS) Regs »
Repaying your loan
Loans are repayable at the end of your studies. The amount of money you pay back each month depends on your earnings and when you started your course. Note: if you were overpaid while studying, see here.
If you started your course in 2011/12 or earlier, you have a plan 1 loan and you begin to make repayments from the April after you graduate or otherwise leave your course, once you earn above £20,195 a year. Repayments start at a rate of 9 per cent of all income above that threshold.1Reg 44 E(SL)(R) Regs For example, if you earn £22,195 a year, you pay back 9 per cent of the £2,000 of income over the threshold – ie, £180 a year or £15.00 a month.
If you started your course before 2012/13, interest is set at the rate of inflation, measured by the retail price index (RPI) in March, applied for a year from the following September, with a cap of 1 per cent above the base rates of certain nominated banks.
If you started your course in 2012/13 or later, you have a plan 2 loan and you begin to repay your loan from the April after you graduate or otherwise leave your course, at a rate of 9 per cent of any income above £27,295 a year.
Interest on loans for 2012 (plan 2) cohort students is variable. During the period of study, up to the April following graduation or otherwise leaving the course, the interest rate is set at the rate of inflation, measured by the RPI in March, plus 3 per cent. Thereafter, it is at:
    •RPI if you earn less than the repayment threshold of £27,295;
    •RPI plus 3 per cent if you earn more than £49,130 a year before tax;
    •an amount on a sliding scale between RPI and RPI plus 3 per cent if you earn between £27,295 and £49,130 a year.
These rules are however different in 2022 and 2023. Due to exceptionally high inflation rates, student loan interest for plan 2 and postgraduate loans (see chapter 5) may have been as high as 12% between September 2022 and August 2023. There is, however, a legal requirement for student loan interest for these loans to be capped at the ‘prevailing market rate’ – that is, the rate generally available for unsecured commercial loans. The Department for Education has announced interest rates for plan 2 and postgraduate loans are capped at 6.3% between 1 September and 30 November 2022 and will be capped at 7.3% from 1 December 2022 to 31 August 2023. In practice, the rate may be lower if the prevailing market rate is lower than this cap. Further changes during this period are possible: check the Student Loans Company website for updates: www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan
Your liability to repay a loan can be cancelled if you die or if you become permanently unable to work because of a disability.
If you started your course before 2012/13, your liability is cancelled 25 years after the April following graduation or when you otherwise left the course.2Reg 19 E(SL)(R) Regs If you are a 2012 or 2016 cohort (plan 2) student, your liability is cancelled 30 years after the April following graduation or when you otherwise left the course.
If you started your course between 1 September 1998 and 1 September 2006, your liability is also cancelled when you reach the age of 65.
Note: postgraduate master’s and doctoral loans have different repayment terms and, if you have one of these loans, you pay it back concurrently with your undergraduate loan (see here and here).
Mortgage-style loans
If you were eligible to receive a mandatory award before 1998, you may have had a ‘mortgage-style loan’. These are normally repaid over 60 fixed monthly instalments from the April following your graduation or the point you otherwise leave your course, or over 84 fixed monthly instalments if you had loans for five or more years.3Sch 2 para 5 E(SL) Regs. If you have taken out more than five student loans, you repay your loan in 84 monthly installments. However, you can request that repayments be deferred if you earn less than 85 per cent of the national average wage. In 2021/22, repayments can be deferred if your gross earnings are not more than £30,646 per year or £2,553 per month.
Liability to repay mortgage-style loans can be cancelled if:4Sch 2 para 12 E(SL) Regs
    •you die;
    •you are permanently incapacitated from work because of a disability;
    •you reach the age of 50 (or 60 if you were 40 or over when you last took out a loan);
    •25 years have passed since the April following your graduation or the point at which you otherwise left your course,
whichever comes first.
Interest on mortgage-style loans is set at the rate of inflation, measured by the RPI in March, applied for a year from the following September. All mortgage-style loans have now been sold to one of three private companies (Thesis Servicing, Honours Student Loans or Erudio Student Loans), which should have written to you with their contact details. The repayment terms of the loans remain the same.
 
1     Reg 44 E(SL)(R) Regs »
2     Reg 19 E(SL)(R) Regs »
3     Sch 2 para 5 E(SL) Regs. If you have taken out more than five student loans, you repay your loan in 84 monthly installments. »
4     Sch 2 para 12 E(SL) Regs »
Supplementary grants
A number of additional grants are available to students in certain circumstances. Note: if you are a student on a pre-registration healthcare course starting on or after 1 August 2017, you may also be eligible for extra support from the NHS for your child(ren) (see Chapter 6).
Adult dependants’ grant
If you have an adult dependant(s) who is ’wholly or mainly financially dependent’ on you, you may be eligible for an adult dependants’ grant.1Reg 44 E(SS) Regs Eligible adult dependants include your spouse or civil partner, or (if you are aged 25 or older) a cohabiting partner. In some circumstances, you may be able to claim this grant for an adult dependant who is not your partner if you can prove they are financially dependant on you and have an income below £3,796. The maximum grant is £3,263 in 2022/23, but the amount you receive depends on your situation and the income of your dependant(s). The amount you are eligible to receive is halved if your spouse/partner receives any student support as a full-time student.
 
1     Reg 44 E(SS) Regs »
Parents’ learning allowance
If you are a parent with a dependent child(ren), you may be eligible for a parents’ learning allowance to help cover your course-related costs.1Reg 46 E(SS) Regs How much you get depends on your income and that of your partner, spouse and any other dependants. The allowance is not counted as income when assessing your benefit and tax credit entitlement.
The maximum amount in 2022/23 is £1,863. If a couple are both full-time students, both can claim the full allowance, subject to their household income.
 
1     Reg 46 E(SS) Regs »
Childcare grant
If you have responsibility for a child under the age of 15 (or 17 if s/he has special educational needs) and you use registered or approved childcare, you can apply for a childcare grant.1Reg 45 E(SS) Regs You cannot receive the childcare grant if you receive the childcare element in UC (see Chapter 18) or working tax credit (WTC) (see Chapter 20). You are also ineligible if your partner receives the childcare allowance in an NHS bursary (see here).
Registered and approved childcare
A ‘registered childcare provider’ is a person who is registered under the Children Act and who provides daycare.2s79(f) CA 1989 The person must care for one or more children aged under eight for more than two hours a day for payment. The care must be provided on domestic premises used wholly or mainly as a private dwelling. A relative who provides childcare for your child qualifies, provided s/he is registered with the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) and s/he is also looking after other children who are unrelated to her/him. Nurseries, out-of-hours school clubs and holiday playschemes also count.
‘Approved childcare’ covers provision for children aged eight or over. The childcare must be approved by an accredited organisation under the Working Tax Credit (Entitlement and Maximum Rate) Regulations 2002 (as amended). This definition includes carers who are approved under the voluntary childcare approval scheme. This covers childcare in the parent’s home for children of any age, and childcare for children aged eight or over provided by a childminder in her/his own home or other domestic premises.
The grant can cover up to 85 per cent of your actual costs for childcare. In 2022/23, the maximum amount you can receive is £183.75 a week for one child or £315.03 a week for two or more children. The maximum amount of grant available annually in 2022/23 is £9,555 for one child and £16,381.56 for two or more children. These figures are based on 52-week assessments so will be less in the final year of study.
The amount you receive depends on your income and the income of any dependants.
The childcare grant is paid directly to your childcare provider via the Childcare Grant Payment Service. You will be sent information about this when you apply or reapply for your childcare grant. You may have to ask your childcare provider to register with this service if they have not done so already.
 
1     Reg 45 E(SS) Regs »
2     s79(f) CA 1989 »
Grant for travel costs
If you are a medical or dental student undertaking clinical placements, or if you have to study abroad as a compulsory part of your course, you may be able to claim help with your travel costs if they are more than £303 in the year. The amount you get depends on your household income (see here).
Disabled students’ allowance
If you incur additional course-related costs as a consequence of a disability, you can apply for disabled students’ allowance.1Reg 40 E(SS) Regs This is a needs-based allowance and you must provide medical evidence of your disability, such as a letter from your doctor, educational psychologist or other specialist, when you apply to Student Finance England for assistance. If Student Finance England accepts this proof, it (and/or the adviser in your university or college) helps you to arrange a needs assessment with a recognised assessor. It then recommends what additional support or equipment you should be supplied with. From the 2021/22 academic year, the previous separate allowances were simplified into one allowance. In the 2022/23 year the maximum allowance is £25,575 per year2Reg 41 E(SS) Regs with additional support available where travel cost support is recommended.
Note: students may be expected to pay the first £200 towards any IT equipment, although some institutions have hardship funds or bursaries to help with this cost. Some non-medical help and other support may be provided by the institution. Speak to an adviser in your institution for more information.
 
1     Reg 40 E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 41 E(SS) Regs »
Study abroad or work placements
Funding rules can be different if you are studying abroad or are on a work placement (sometimes known as a ‘sandwich year’). Fees may be reduced, but in some circumstances student support for living costs may also be limited.
After the UK departure from the EU, the UK government declined the offer to continue to participate in the Erasmus exchange scheme and instead has set up an alternative scheme called the Turing scheme, which allows UK students to study in other countries around the world. The details of the scheme are now available on the Turing scheme website (turing-scheme.org.uk). Institutions are not required to participate in Turing, and the opportunities and support available vary. Check with your institution for details.
The funding rules for study abroad and sandwich years are different and can be complex. Ask your university or students’ union advice centre for more information.
Overpayments
If you have been overpaid student support by Student Finance England, the overpayment will be recovered.1Regs 117-19 E(SS) Regs This is the case even if the overpayment was the result of a mistake made by Student Finance England.
Usually, any overpayment of student support is recovered by reducing the support you are due to receive in future instalments. If you are not due to receive any further instalments, Student Finance England can use any other methods available to it. In practice, this means either asking you to repay the money in full directly, agreeing a repayment plan with you or adding the overpayment to your student loan debt.
If you have been overpaid tuition fee support, Student Finance England normally recovers this money from your institution directly and sometimes retrospectively. This may make you in debt to your institution.2Reg 157 E(SS) Regs
If you have received equipment through the disabled students’ allowance and it is subsequently decided that you have been ’overpaid’, it may be acceptable to return the equipment rather than repay its cash value.3Regs 117, 156 and 168 E(SS) Regs
If you receive communication about recovery of an overpayment you should contact your students’ union or advice service for help checking if the amount is correct and for help negotiating appropriate repayment terms with Student Finance England or your institution if this is the case.
 
1     Regs 117-19 E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 157 E(SS) Regs »
3     Regs 117, 156 and 168 E(SS) Regs »
2. Part-time undergraduates
The support available for part-time students depends on when you started your course, whether your institution has an approved ‘access and participation plan’ with the Office for Students, and whether your institution received a rating of ‘meets expectations’ under the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework. The same course and residence requirements apply as for full-time students (see here–here).1Reg 137 E(SS) Regs
Note: students with an honours degree from a previous course who want to study certain agriculture, science, technology, engineering and maths subjects part time can receive part-time student finance, even though they would not receive funding for an equivalent full-time course. Speak to an adviser in your institution for more information.
 
1     Reg 137 E(SS) Regs »
Grant for tuition fees: pre-September 2012 entrants
If you started your course in 2011/12 or earlier and are a part-time undergraduate student (including a student from the European Union (EU) (see here), you may be eligible for an income-assessed tuition fee grant.1Reg 141 E(SS) Regs The maximum amount of grant for which you are eligible depends on the intensity of study (compared to a full-time course) for each academic year of the course.
Maximum grant for part-time fees 2021/22
Course intensity
Maximum grant available
Less than 60%
£959
60–74%
£1,150
75% or more
£1,442
 
Part-time students who started their course before 2012 and whose tuition fees are higher than the amount covered by the grant for fees should contact their institution for help from its hardship fund. Although hardship funds were part of the Access to Learning Fund, which is no longer funded by the former Higher Education Funding Council for England, many institutions offer transitional protection for continuing part-time students. Ask your advice centre or students’ union for further information.
 
1     Reg 141 E(SS) Regs »
Loan for tuition fees: 2012 entrants or later
Student loans for tuition fees are available for part-time students
(including some students from the EU/EEA with EU settled or pre-settled status – see here) starting from September 2012/13. The intensity of your course must be at least 25 per cent of the equivalent full-time course (ie, it should take no more than four times the amount of time to complete), and you can receive support for a maximum of 16 years.1Reg 144 E(SS) Regs
In 2022/23, you can receive a loan of up to £6,935 to cover the cost of the fees charged.2Reg 145 E(SS) Regs From 1 September 2012, part-time fees for new students have been regulated, so your fees should not exceed this amount. Loans to part-time students must be repaid in the same way as loans to full-time 2012 cohort students, with the same arrangements for interest (see here).
Tuition fee loans for part-time students are not means tested, so your income and the income of your parents or partner do not affect your entitlement.
 
1     Reg 144 E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 145 E(SS) Regs »
Loan for living costs
If you started your part-time undergraduate course in the 2018/19 academic year or later, in addition to a tuition fee loan you can apply for a loan to help cover your living costs.1Regs 157A-157R E(SS) Regs The amount you can borrow depends on the intensity of your study, where you live and your household income (see here).
Not all courses/qualifications are eligible. The following qualifications/courses are eligible:2Reg 139 E(SS) Regs
    •a bachelor’s degree (with or without honours) – eg, a BA or BSc;
    •an integrated master’s course – eg, an MEng or BEng;
    •a Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Education (PGCE or PGDE), provided you do not already have qualified teacher status;
    •a graduate diploma or graduate certificate, provided a degree is not required to do the course;
    •a foundation degree in dental hygiene or dental therapy;
    •a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) in dental hygiene or dental therapy or operating department practice.
Other lower level (level 4 or 5) courses, such as foundation degrees, DipHEs, Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), are not eligible. However, you can apply for a loan if you are ’topping up’ a course that you started before 2020/21 with one that you are starting in the 2020/21 academic year, provided the new qualification meets the criteria. For example, if you complete an HND in summer 2022 and then want to top this up to a part-time degree starting in September 2022, you can apply for a loan for the new course.
You must attend the course to be eligible; distance learning courses do not count, unless you are doing a distance learning course because you have a disability.3Reg 157B E(SS) Regs You must provide evidence of your disability when you apply.
To be eligible for the new loan, you must attend for a minimum number of hours, equivalent to 25 per cent of the intensity of a full-time course, each year – ie, the course takes no more than four times the amount of time to complete. The number of years of available funding is capped at four times the length of the equivalent full-time course.4Reg 157B E(SS) Regs Institutions are required to confirm the intensity of your course each year. Ask your university or college if you are uncertain what this is.
Amount of loan for living costs 2022/23 (rounded)5Regs 157F-157J E(SS) Regs
Course intensity
Maximum loan
Minimum loan
London
100%
£12,667
£6,308
75–100%
£9,500
£4,731
66.6–75%
£8,436
£4,201
50–66.6%
£6,333
£3,154
33.3–50%
£4,218
£2,100
25–33.3%
£3,166
£1,577
Elsewhere
100%
£9,706
£4,524
75–100%
£7,279
£3,393
66.6–75%
£6,461
£3,012
50–66.6%
£4,853
£2,262
33.3–50%
£3,232
£1,506
25–33.3%
£2,426
£1,131
Parental home
100%
£8,171
£3,597
75–100%
£6,128
£2,697
66.6–75%
£5,441
£2,395
50–66.6%
£4,085
£1,798
33.3–50%
£2,720
£1,197
25–33.3%
£2,042
£899
 
1     Regs 157A-157R E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 139 E(SS) Regs »
3     Reg 157B E(SS) Regs »
4     Reg 157B E(SS) Regs »
5     Regs 157F-157J E(SS) Regs »
Special support element
Loans for living costs for part-time students include a special support element, which is disregarded for means-tested benefits. As this is not a higher rate of loan, Student Finance England does not require any evidence that you are in receipt of benefits when you apply. The amount of the special support element is based on a full-time rate of £4,106 in 2022/23, pro-rated by intensity of study, and is not affected by your household income.1Reg 157G E(SS) Regs However, if your household income would reduce your standard loan entitlement below the relevant rate of the special support element, you receive the reduced rate, payable entirely as a special support element.
 
1     Reg 157G E(SS) Regs »
Repaying your loan
The loan is repaid in the same way as the loan for living costs for full-time students (see here), except that repayments start in the April after you graduate or leave your course or the April four years after you start your studies, whichever is the soonest. This means that, in some cases, if you earn over the threshold, you may be repaying your loan while you are still studying.
Grant for course costs: pre-September 2012 entrants
A grant of up to £314 is available for students from low-income backgrounds to help with the costs of books, equipment and travel.1Reg 142 E(SS) Regs The amount of grant available is not affected by the intensity of your study. This is not available for EU students.
 
1     Reg 142 E(SS) Regs »
Disabled students’ allowance
If you are a part-time student and studying at an intensity of at least 50 per cent (pre-2012 entrants) or 25 per cent (2012 or later entrants) of an equivalent full-time course and have a disability, you can apply for a disabled students’ allowance. From the 2021/22 academic year, this allowance has been simplified into one allowance. In 2022/23 the maximum allowance is £25,575 per year for both full-time and part-time undergraduate students, with additional support for travel costs where support with these is recommended.1Reg 147 E(SS) Regs
Note: students may be expected to pay the first £200 towards any IT equipment, although some institutions have hardship funds or bursaries to help with this cost. Some non-medical help and other support may be provided by the institution. Speak to an adviser in your institution for more information.
 
1     Reg 147 E(SS) Regs »
3. How income affects student support
How your income is assessed
Student support for living costs depends on an income assessment.1Sch 4 E(SS) Regs You may be assessed as either an independent student (see here) or a dependent student (see here).
In all cases, your household income is assessed. This means your own income (excluding your income from part-time work) is always assessed, plus that of your:
    •parent(s), unless you are an independent student (see here); or
    •spouse, if you are married; or
    •civil partner, if you are in a civil partnership; or
    •cohabiting partner, if you are aged 25 or over.
If you are a part-time student, only your and your partner’s income is taken into account as household income. Your parents’ income is ignored, regardless of your age.2Reg 142 E(SS) Regs For more information, see here.
 
1     Sch 4 E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 142 E(SS) Regs »
Independent students
You are assessed as an independent student if:1Sch 4 para 2 E(SS) Regs
    •you are either aged 25 or over before the beginning of the academic year in which your course begins or you turn 25 during the academic year (in which case, you are assessed as an independent student from the beginning of the following academic year); or
    •you are married or in a civil partnership before the course begins, or you marry or form a civil partnership during the course (in which case, you are assessed as an independent student from the beginning of the following academic year); or
    •you have been financially self-reliant for any three years before the academic year in which your course begins (this qualifying period can include periods of unemployment and participation in training schemes for the unemployed, such as apprenticeships); or
    •you have responsibility for at least one child; or
    •you are ’irreconcilably estranged’ from your parents (see below); or
    •you have been in the care of a local authority for a certain period; or
    •your parents cannot be found; or
    •your parents live outside the EU and it is not reasonably practicable for them to send parental contributions to the UK, or they would be placed in jeopardy if they did so; or
    •you have no living parents.
If you are considered to be an independent student, your parents’ income is not taken into account. Your gross taxable income for the academic year, less various disregards (all earnings from part-time work are disregarded), is taken into account. If you have a spouse or partner, her/his income may be taken into account (see here).
 
Estrangement
If your relationship with your parents has completely broken down, and you do not meet any of the other criteria for independent status, you can apply for ’estrangement’ status so that their income is not taken into account.
If you can provide evidence that you have had no contact with either of your parents for at least a year, you should be treated as estranged. If you have become estranged but have had contact within the last 12 months, you can still use other evidence to prove your estrangement – eg, letters from social services, a university adviser or medical or other professionals.2Sch 4 para 2(1)(e) E(SS) Regs You cannot usually be assessed as estranged partway through the year. Instead, you must wait until you reapply the next academic year and provide evidence of your circumstances at that time.
Your students’ union or institution advice centre can assist you to apply for estrangement status.
 
1     Sch 4 para 2 E(SS) Regs »
2     Sch 4 para 2(1)(e) E(SS) Regs »
Dependent students
If you do not meet the criteria for being an independent student (see above), you are considered to be a dependent student. Student Finance England looks at your parents’ gross taxable income over the previous full tax year (for the academic year 2022/23, this is 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2021), then subtracts pension scheme and superannuation payments, which attract tax relief. A further £1,130 is deducted for each additional dependent child or if your parent is a student her/himself.1Sch 4 para 3 E(SS) Regs
The remaining amount is added to your estimated gross taxable income for the 2022/23 academic year (if any). This is your household income figure.2Sch 4 paras 3 and 4 E(SS) Regs When calculating your gross income, certain income, including all your earnings from part-time or casual work, is disregarded.
The household income figure is then used to determine how much the household is expected to contribute to your costs and, therefore, how much support you can receive from the government.
Note: if the level of your parents’ income falls by at least 15 per cent during the academic year, you can request a reassessment (called a ‘current year income assessment’) from Student Finance England.3Sch 4 para 5(3)-(4) E(SS) Regs
If your parents are separated, divorced or widowed and you are not deemed to be an independent student, the income of the parent with whom you live is taken into account. If you do not live with either parent, Student Finance England decides which parent’s income is the most appropriate to use.
If your parent has a partner with whom s/he lives, the partner’s income is also included in the assessment, even if that person is not your parent.
 
1     Sch 4 para 3 E(SS) Regs »
2     Sch 4 paras 3 and 4 E(SS) Regs »
3     Sch 4 para 5(3)-(4) E(SS) Regs »
Spouses and partners
If your spouse or civil/cohabiting partner is considered part of the assessable household, her/his income is assessed in a similar way to that of a student’s parents (see here).1Sch 4 para 6 E(SS) Regs
Any income from your spouse or civil/cohabiting partner is added to your income to form the household income to be taken into account. However, if you have separated from your spouse or civil partner, her/his income is not assessed.
The household income figure is used to determine how much the household is expected to contribute to your costs and, therefore, how much support you can receive from the government.
 
1     Sch 4 para 6 E(SS) Regs »
How your student support is affected
2016 cohort students
If your household income is £25,000 or less, you qualify for the maximum amount of loan for living costs.
If your household income is more than £25,000 and you are not entitled to benefits, your living costs loan is reduced by the appropriate rate for your circumstances:
London
£1 for every £7.08 over £25,000, up to the minimum amount of loan (£6,308 – 49.8 per cent of the maximum loan)
Elsewhere
£1 for every £7.20 over £25,000, up to the minimum amount of the loan (£4,524 – 46.6 per cent of the maximum loan)
Parental home
£1 for every £7.27 over £25,000, up to the minimum amount of loan (£3,597 – 44 per cent of maximum loan)
Overseas rate
£1 for every £7.13 over £25,000, up to the minimum amount of loan (£5,253 - 48.3 per cent of maximum loan)
If your household income is more than £25,000 and you are entitled to benefits, your assessed income reduces the amount of your loan. The special support element of your loan is reduced first before the standard maintenance element. Your loan is then reduced by the appropriate rate for your circumstances:
London
£1 for every £4.867 between £25,001 and £42,875
£1 for every £7.08 over £42,875, up to the minimum amount of loan (£6,308 – 45.7 per cent of the maximum loan)
Elsewhere
£1 for every £4.654 between £25,001 and £42,875
£1 for every £7.20 over £42,875, up to the minimum loan of £4,524 (40.9 per cent of the maximum loan)
Parental home
£1 for every £4.551 between £25,001 and £42,875
£1 for every £7.27 over £42,875, up to the minimum amount of loan (£3,597 – 37.3 per cent of maximum loan)
Overseas rate
£1 for every £4.856 between £25,001 and £42,875
£1 for every £7.13 over £42,875, up to the minimum amount of loan (£5,253 - 43.4 per cent of maximum loan)
The household income assessment for suplementary grants is done in a different way . Support is reduced at a rate of £1 for every £8.73 of income above £39,796.1Sch 4 para 9 E(SS) Regs Any supplementary grants for dependants are reduced first, then any long courses loan payable and, finally, any grant for travel costs.2Regs 99 and 100 E(SS) Regs Dependants’ grants are subject to an additional means test (see here).
Students aged 60 or over
If you started your course on or after 1 August 2016 and you were aged 60 or over on the first day of your first academic year, your assessed income reduces the amount of the over-60 rate of loan you get. In 2022/23, the following applies.3Reg 80C E(SS) Regs
    •If your household income is £25,000 or less, you qualify for the maximum amount of loan.
    •If your household income is between £25,001 and £43,780, your loan is reduced by £1 for every £4.63 of income over £25,000.
    •If your household income is £43,781 and over, you do not qualify for a loan.
 
1     Sch 4 para 9 E(SS) Regs »
2     Regs 99 and 100 E(SS) Regs »
3     Reg 80C E(SS) Regs »
2012 cohort students
    •If your household income is £25,000 or less, you receive the maximum maintenance or special support grant.
    •If your household income is between £25,001 and £42,737, you receive a reduced amount of the applicable grant (the minimum amount is £50). For every £4.48 of household income above £25,000, £1 is deducted from the grant until the maximum household income of £42,737 is reached.
    •No grant is payable if your household income is more than £42,737.
Any income above £42,875 reduces the income-assessed 35 per cent of the applicable basic rate of student loan (see here) at a rate of £1 for every £7.93 of additional income.1Reg 76 E(SS) Regs
The household income assessment for supplementary grants is done in a different way. Support is reduced at a rate of £1 for every £8.73 of income above £39,796.2Sch 4 para 9 E(SS) Regs Any supplementary grants for dependants are reduced first, then any long courses loan payable and, finally, any grant for travel costs.3Regs 99 and 100 E(SS) Regs Dependants’ grants are subject to an additional means test (see below).
 
1     Reg 76 E(SS) Regs »
2     Sch 4 para 9 E(SS) Regs »
3     Regs 99 and 100 E(SS) Regs »
Grants for dependants
In the 2019/20 academic year, a new method of assessing household income was introduced for assessing grants for dependants (parents’ learning allowance, adult dependants’ grant and childcare grant).1Reg 47 E(SS) Regs This change applies to both new students and those who started their course before this date, and may mean some students receive a lower amount of support than under the previous rules. However, if you received a dependants’ grant before the 2019/20 academic year, you get ‘transitional protection’ until the end of your course and the amount you will receive is not reduced.
Your entitlement to each grant is first assessed on the basis of your combined dependants’ income before the main household income assessment is applied (see above). ‘Dependants’ include your partner, another adult who is dependent on you financially and any child for whom you have parental responsibility and who is financially dependent on you.
Your partner’s or adult dependant’s gross taxable income from the previous tax year is used (for 2022/23 payments, this is income in the 2020/21 tax year). Note: an adult dependant who is not your partner is only considered a dependant if her/his net income in the previous tax year is less than £3,796.
Your child’s net income in the current financial year is used. This could include, for example, interest on savings or dividends from shares.
If your dependant’s income is below a lower threshold, you are paid the maximum amount. Grants are then reduced on a sliding scale until income reaches an upper threshold. If income is higher than the upper threshold, no grant is paid. The figures used are in the table below. The amount of your grant may be reduced by the main household income assessment.
Grants for dependants
Parents’ learning allowance
Adult dependants’ grant
Childcare grant
One child
Two or more children
Maximum entitlement
£1,863
£3,263
£9,555
£16,381.56
Minimum payable
£50
£0.01
£0.01
£0.01
Lower income threshold for maximum grant
£14,910
£8,746
£9,727
£11,118
Upper income threshold for minimum grant
£18,635
£15,271
£19,281.99
£27,499.55
Reduction (for every £1 of income above lower threshold)
£0.50
£0.50
£1.00
£1.00
Example
Emma is a full-time undergraduate in her first year at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has a dependent partner, Jack, and one dependent child, Jude. She applies for all three dependants’ grants, including the maximum childcare grant available. Her combined dependants’ income is assessed as £13,835 (£2,000 for Jack and £11,835 for Jude); this income figure is used for all three calculations.
The individual grants are calculated as follows:
Adult dependants’ grant
Jack’s individual income is lower than £3,796 in the assessed year, so Emma can claim adult dependants’ grant. The lower threshold figure of £8,746 is subtracted from her combined dependants’ income (£13,835) to give £5,089. Half of this remaining amount (ie, 50p for every £1 above the threshold) is deducted from the maximum grant payable (£3,263 in 2022/23). £3,263 - £2,544.50 = £718.50. Emma receives an adult dependants’ grant of £718.50.
Childcare grant
The lower threshold figure for childcare grant for one child of £9,727 is subtracted from her dependants’ income total (£13,835) to give £4,108. This full amount (ie, £1 for every £1 above the threshold) is deducted from the maximum grant payable (£9,555). £9555 - £4,108 = £5,447. Emma receives a childcare grant of £5,447. Note: Emma is entitled to a maximum childcare grant of £183.75 in any one week, and payment is based on 85 per cent of her actual costs (see here for more details).
Parents’ learning allowance
As her total dependants’ income (£13,835) is below the lower income threshold for the maximum parent’s learning allowance (£14,910), Emma receives the maximum allowance of £1,863 in 2022/23.
The amount of all three grants may be further reduced by Emma’s main household income assessment (see here).
 
1     Reg 47 E(SS) Regs »
Part-time students
If you are a part-time student and you started your course before 1 September 2012, your grant for tuition fees and course costs is means tested in the following way.
    •If your income is below £16,845, you are eligible for the maximum grant for fees and course costs.
    •If your income is between £16,846 and £25,425, you receive some help with fees and course costs.
    •If your income is between £25,426 and £28,064, you receive some help with course costs, but not with fees. The exact amount you receive depends on your income.
    •If your income is £28,065, you receive a course grant of £50. If your income is above this amount, you receive no support.
Only your and your partner’s income is taken into account as household income. Your parents’ income is ignored, regardless of your age.1Reg 142 E(SS) Regs
If you are married or in a civil partnership, or aged 25 or over and living with a partner (including a same-sex partner) or have dependent children, the following amounts are deducted from your income:2Reg 143 E(SS) Regs
    •£2,000 for your partner;
    •£2,000 for your eldest child;
    •£1,000 for every other child.
 
1     Reg 142 E(SS) Regs »
2     Reg 143 E(SS) Regs »
4. Discretionary and institutional funds
Institutions are expected to provide funds to alleviate student hardship and to support retention and progression. These funds are not provided or reported on centrally, and do not have common assessment criteria. You should therefore contact your institution for information on how to apply and how you are assessed.
Note: in exceptional cases, students on a pre-registration healthcare course may be eligible for additional hardship funding from the NHS (see here).
Additional fee support scheme
All institutions are expected to provide funds to support retention and progression, and so funds should still be available to help part-time ’home’ and European Union students who started their course before 1 September 2012 to meet the costs of their tuition fees, where these fees are higher than the amount covered by the tuition fee grant. Local fund administrators have discretion on how much assistance to pay and to whom. For more information, speak to an adviser in your university or college or contact the fund administrator.
Institutional bursaries
If you are a full-time student and you started your course in 2011/12 or earlier, you are receiving the full maintenance or special support grant of £3,680 in 2022/23 and your university or college charges fees of more than £3,680, you are eligible for a minimum non-repayable bursary.
The Office for Students, which governs bursary rules, has stated that the minimum mandatory bursary must be equivalent to 10 per cent of the tuition fees charged by the university or college. Therefore, in 2022/23, if the fee charged is £3,465, the mandatory minimum bursary is £346.1Letter from the Office for Fair Access to higher education institutions, 23 July 2009 However, many institutions offer more than this. Contact your university or college for more information.
There is no minimum bursary for students who started in 2012/13 or later.
 
1     Letter from the Office for Fair Access to higher education institutions, 23 July 2009 »