Student Loans

The Government has been funding a loans scheme for students in Higher Education since September 1990.

These loans are available as a ‘top up’ to the standard grant. Although the loan is intended to supplement the grant for living costs, eligibility for a student loan is not restricted to those who receive a maintenance grant. The decision whether or not to take the loan is yours.

 

Eligibility

 

You are eligible for a student loan if you are a UK resident and are attending a full-time Higher Education course, below postgraduate level, or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course, provided you start your course before your 50^th birthday. Fulltime courses last at least one academic year and include sandwich courses which combine time at college with time spent in a workplace.

 

Eligible courses are offered by colleges, universities, the Scottish grant-aided colleges and other publicly funded institutions providing Higher Education courses.

 

In general, eligible courses include first degree courses or their equivalents and any other courses for which your Local Authority will pay your tuition fees.

 

Your financial circumstances

 

Students who want loans are not ‘means tested’ or ‘credit vetted’ - all those eligible will obtain a loan.

 

This means that:

 

• The amount of your maintenance grant or tuition fees does not matter.

• Other income, if any, is not taken into account.

• Any previous student loans are not taken into account.

• The income of your parents, spouse, partner or other relatives is not taken into account.

• Your previous financial record is not a consideration.

 

When to apply for a loan

 

If you would like more information on how to apply for a student loan in readiness for your entry to Higher Education in Autumn 2003, then you should contact The Student Loans Company from June 2003 onwards.

 

Once in Higher Education, you can apply for a loan at any time in the academic year.