Funding
Don’t let money worries hold you back from achieving your goals.
If money worries are the only thing holding you back from applying, then we want to offer you some reassurance.
The student finance system is there to take away as much of the worry about paying for your course as possible. You won’t have to pay loans back until you are earning a certain amount and the amount you’ll have to pay back each month will be much, much lower than if you borrowed it from a bank.
Think of the money you’ll be borrowing and paying back as an investment for later. And you’ll leave higher education with the potential to earn a lot more money than if you didn’t have a degree qualification.
What’s more, as a care leaver you might be entitled to extra money, some of which doesn’t need to be paid back at all.
The exact amount of funding that you’ll get will depend on a number of things, like where you live, the course you take, and whether you’re planning to study full or part-time.
Did you know? You don’t need to start paying any of your loans back until you have finished your course and are earning a certain level of salary.
If you’re from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, there’s lots of funding to help you, from loans to bursaries. If you are from Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, different funding rules and opportunities apply. Check out the websites of the different islands to find out more.
The funding available varies, depending on where you live now and where in the UK you want to study, although there is often funding available for studying abroad too. The information here typically relates to full-time courses and may be different for part-time courses.
The earliest you’ll start repaying is either:
- the April after you leave your course
- the April 4 years after the course started if your course is longer than 4 years, for example if you’re studying part-time or doing a Postgraduate Doctoral course
Your repayments automatically stop if either:
- you stop working
- your income goes below the threshold
English students
The main source of funding for your tuition and living costs will come from Student Finance England.
Student Finance England pays tuition fees of up to £9,250 directly to your university. If you’re a full-time student, you can apply for a maintenance loan of up to £9,706 (or £12,667 if studying in London) in 2022/23 for you to use on things like food, bills and rent. You won’t need to start paying any loans back until you are earning at least £27,295.
As a care leaver, you’ll be classed as an ‘independent student’ and so household income won’t be taken into account when working out how much student finance you can get. For more information on applying through Student Finance England as a care leaver, click here.
You may be able to apply for bursaries or extra help if you’re studying medicine (find out more here), social work (find out more here) or teacher training (but only if you are doing a postgraduate qualification – find out more here).
If you’re thinking of studying a postgraduate course and you normally live in England, you may be able to get a postgraduate master’s loan of up to £11,836 to help with course fees and living costs, or a postgraduate doctoral loan of up to £27,892. It has to be repaid, and you’ll earn interest on it from the day that you get the loan. You can find out more here.
If you’re starting higher education for the first time before your 25th birthday, you should be entitled to a one-off Higher Education Bursary of at least £2000 from your local authority, normally paid in instalments during your course. Ask your local authority to explain how it will be paid to you.
Northern Irish students
The main source of your funding for your tuition and living costs will come from Student Finance ni.
Student Finance ni offers loans to cover your tuition fees (or student contribution fees if you study in the Republic of Ireland) and will pay these directly to your university. In 2022-23, you can apply for a maintenance loan of up to £6,776, and a maintenance grant of up to £3,475 to help pay for your accommodation, day-to-day living costs, as well as any books or equipment you might need for your studies. You won’t need to start paying any loans back until you are earning at least £20,195 per year.
If you’re thinking about postgraduate study, loans of up to £5,500 are available for Northern Irish students on taught postgraduate programmes. More information can be found here.
Welsh students
The main source of funding for your tuition and living costs will come from Student Finance Wales.
You don’t have to pay any fees upfront and you will be able to take out a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 per year to cover tuition costs. You won’t have to pay this back until you’re earning at least £27,295.
You can also apply for a Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG) and a Maintenance Loan to help with living costs such as food, books, rent and other expenses. Combined, these two sources can provide you with up to £10,710.
As a care leaver, you’ll be classed as an ‘independent student’ and so household income won’t be taken into account when working out how much student finance you can get. For more information on applying through Student Finance Wales as a care leaver, click here.
You can find out about the social work bursary scheme for Welsh students studying an undergraduate or Master’s degree course in social work on the Social Care Wales website. Some healthcare courses are funded by NHS Wales and student funding arrangements work differently - visit here for more information.
Students looking to study a postgraduate master’s course might be able to access up to £18,430 as a combination of a grant and a loan. Students starting a postgraduate Doctoral course can apply for a loan of up to £25,700. Visit the Student Finance Wales website for more information.
If you’re starting Higher Education for the first time before your 25th birthday, you should be entitled to a one-off Higher Education Bursary of at least £2,000 from your local authority, normally paid in instalments throughout the duration of your course. Ask your local authority to explain how it will be paid to you.
Other funding
If you have a disability, including mental health conditions, long-term illness or specific learning difficulties, you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance. This non-repayable funding can typically support you with the costs of specialist equipment, non-medical helpers or additional travel or study costs arising as a result of your disability. Please visit the relevant pages for students in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland for more information.
The Unite Foundation offers scholarships in partnership with 28 universities which include free university accommodation for three years of undergraduate study. Find out more, including which universities offer the scholarship, on their website.
There may also be charities and other organisations that could help, either with one-off payments, or more regular support. You can use Turn2us, to do a grants search for funding that you might be eligible for.
Buttle UK offer grants to young people, you can find out more info here.
The Care Leavers Foundation also offer small grants to care leavers.
There’s lots of funding to help you, from loans to bursaries.
English students
In England, to be eligible for a tuition fee loan, you need to meet certain eligibility criteria as set out by the government (for example that you’re studying an eligible course, meet their residency criteria, and have not previously studied in higher education). Tuition fee loans are not means-tested, which means that the amount you can borrow is not affected by household income.
Maintenance loans will be assessed on your household income, and if you’re leaving care you are likely to be assessed as an independent student and able to get the maximum amount. Your eligibility will also depend on whether you’re studying a full-time or part-time course.
Northern Irish students
Tuition fee loans aren’t based on household income, and the amount you need to borrow will depend on where you’re studying. The maintenance loan and grant are based on your household income. If you’re leaving care, you are likely to be assessed as an independent student and able to get the maximum amount.
Welsh students
Tuition fee loans (and fee grants) are not based on household income, but maintenance loans and the Welsh Government Learning Grant are based on your household income. If you’re leaving care – and therefore classed as independent – you are likely to be able to get the maximum amount. It will also depend if you’re studying a full-time or part-time course.
English students
Tuition fee loans and maintenance loans are provided by Student Finance England. You can apply online, or you can call them on 0300 100 0607 – you can check how much calling might cost here. You need to reapply every year as a continuing student.
Northern Irish students
Tuition fee loans and maintenance loans and grants are available from Student Finance ni. You need to reapply every year as a continuing student.
You can contact Student Finance ni on 0300 100 0077, or check out their website.
Welsh students
Tuition fee loans, maintenance loans, and Welsh Government Learning Grants are provided by Student Finance Wales. You need to reapply every year as a continuing student.
You can apply online or you can contact Student Finance Wales on 0300 200 4050.
No matter where you live in the UK, your local authority and the university or college you apply to might be able to offer further help – so get in touch.
In many cases – yes. But the exact amount of support available will depend on things like the length of time you’ve been in care, your previous education, and the financial policy of the local authority that looks after you.
English students
If you’re starting higher education for the first time before your 25th birthday, you should be entitled to a one-off Higher Education Bursary of at least £2000 from your local authority. Ask your local authority to explain how it will be paid to you – normally in installments during your course.
Your local authority should also be supporting you financially to pursue education if your welfare and educational needs require it. Your local authority should have a financial policy that sets out the financial and practical support that they will give to care leavers who are participating in further or higher education. Ask to see it, so that it’s clear what support that they will give, and ask for it to be clearly written into your pathway plan.
Northern Irish students
The Trust that is responsible for you must assist with the costs of education up until the end of the agreed programme of study. The Trust should undertake a financial analysis exercise and meet any shortfall in funding requirements. It takes into account the support you can get from a tuition fee loan and a maintenance grant (and any bursary you might get from the university) and will make up for the shortfall.
Your Trust should have a financial policy that sets out the financial and practical support that they will give to care leavers who are participating in further or higher education. Ask to see it, so that it’s clear what support that they will give, and ask for it to be clearly written into your pathway plan.
Welsh students
If you’re starting Higher Education for the first time before your 25th birthday, you should be entitled to a one-off Higher Education Bursary of at least £2,000 from your local authority. Ask your local authority to explain how it will be paid to you.
Local authorities usually provide extra financial support to help you to carry on in higher education. Ask to see your local authority’s financial policy about supporting care leavers, so that it’s clear what support they will give, and ask for it to be clearly written into your pathway plan.
Yes, you can. You can still get a student loan for things like tuition fees and maintenance loans and grants from the loan provider in your home country.
Additional support to help with living costs and study expenses may be available in the country where you’re planning to study. Many of these funds are awarded by the university or college so it’s worth contacting them to find out if you can apply for them.
If you live in England you can apply for a tuition fee loan to pay for the fees in another part of the UK. See Student Finance England for more information.
Students who live in Northern Ireland can ask for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 a year, even though tuition fees in Northern Ireland are no more than £4,275 a year. Student Finance ni also offers a maintenance grant of a slightly higher amount for students studying in London because the costs of living and studying in London are likely to be higher than in other parts of the UK.
Students who live in Wales and who are eligible to receive the fee grant can access it whether they choose to study in Wales or elsewhere in the UK – so should be able to cover tuition fees up to £9,250 a year. Student Finance Wales also offers a maintenance grant of a slightly higher amount for students studying in London because the costs of living and studying in London are likely to be higher than in other parts of the UK.
Absolutely. In fact, many universities and colleges have specific funds, bursaries and scholarships that are only available to care leavers.
Others have ‘hardship funds’ for students who are in financial difficulty or who would struggle to enter higher education without it. For example, in Scotland, there are funds called Discretionary Funds , and in Northern Ireland, Support Funds, which are administered by the university.
Anyone who meets their criteria can apply for these but some universities may give priority to care leavers. It’s up to the university or college to decide who they’ll give the money to – and how much they’ll get.
Bottom line – give the university or college a call to find out what they could offer you. Check their entry on this website to see who is the best person to call – it might be the named contact or they might give another number for queries about funding.
Did you know? You don’t need to pay bursaries, grants , or scholarships back if you finish your course!
You’ll still need to pay back any student loans you have (like your tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) and possibly any other bursaries or grants that you’ve received. That’s why it’s so important that you choose the right course at the right university for you.
If you feel like you might need to leave or take a break, talk about this with the named contact for care leavers at your college and also your personal adviser before making a final decision.
Student Support is the name given to financial support that is given to eligible students in the UK. It’s not considered to be a ‘public fund’ (as defined in paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules). This means that if your immigration permission says that you have ‘no recourse to public funds’ you can still apply for Student Support.
The amount of support you can get will depend on your status (and the country you’re living in) at the time you apply. For example, if you have refugee status, you may be eligible for more support than people who have discretionary leave to remain.
I’m living in England – what help can I get?
Students with refugee status can apply for student loans and are eligible for home fees. You are also eligible if you have humanitarian protection, but you must have been living in England for three years before the first day of the course. You can find out more information from the UK Council for International Student Affairs’ website. Call their advice line for more information on 0207 788 9214. It’s not open all the time, so check out their advice line page for further details.
You may also be eligible for student finance if you’re not a UK national and are either:
- under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least seven years
- 18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life).
If you don’t have refugee or humanitarian protection status, (or you haven’t been living in the UK for long enough), it’s very important that you contact the university or college of your choice to find out what they are able to offer you. Talk to your local authority too, to see what support they might be able to offer you. As long as you are a care leaver, they may have duties to support your education – so it’s worth having a chat to find out what they can do.
Some may charge you home fees, and in some cases waive the fees, rather than the much more expensive fees they charge to students who come from abroad to study in the UK.
However, because asylum-seeking students, and those with unaccompanied asylum-seeking child leave to remain (this used to be known as discretionary leave to remain) are classed as international students, you won’t be able to access student finance (tuition fee loans and maintenance loans).
Others may offer additional funding that only asylum seekers can apply for, such as the Article 26 project, run by the Helena Kennedy Foundation. Not all universities offer support through the project, and the amount of support available depends on the university you apply to, so it’s best to get in touch with them directly to find out more.
I’m living in Northern Ireland – what help can I get?
If you have been granted refugee status you should be eligible for full student support. There are some conditions, which you can check out here.
If you’re an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child, you will be eligible for full student support, as long as you fulfill the eligibility criteria. You can find out what the eligibility criteria are here.
I’m living in Wales – what help can I get?
Students with refugee status can apply for student loans and are eligible for home fees. You are also eligible if you have humanitarian protection, but you must have been living in Wales for three years before the first day of the course. You can find out more information from the UK Council for International Student Affairs’ website. Call their advice line for more information on 0207 788 9214. It’s not open all the time, so check out their advice line page for further details.
If you don’t have refugee or humanitarian protection status, it’s very important that you contact the university or college of your choice to find out what they are able to offer you. Talk to your local authority too, to see what support they might be able to offer you. As long as you are a care leaver, they may have duties to support your education – so it’s worth having a chat to find out what they can do.
Some may charge you home fees, and in some cases waive the fees, rather than the much more expensive fees they charge to students who come from abroad to study in the UK.
However, because asylum-seeking students and those with unaccompanied asylum-seeking child leave to remain (this used to be known as discretionary leave to remain) are classed as international students, you won’t be able to access student finance (tuition fee loans and maintenance loans).
If you’re not getting the support you think you’re entitled to from the university, have a chat with the named contact and ask them about it. You might find it helpful to talk to your personal tutor for some advice – if it’s impacting your studies, they’ll want to help you.
You can always have a chat with your student union too – they’re there to look out for you as a student. Some unions have officers that only represent care leavers, but even if your union doesn’t, they should still be looking out for you!
If you’re not getting the support that you think you should be getting from your Local Authority, getting an advocate might be the way forward. Advocates are there to help you get your voice heard.
If you’re in care or a care leaver and need help and advice about anything to do with higher education from money to accommodation, you can get in touch with Become’s Care Advice Line in confidence – online or over the phone. You can call us on 0800 023 2033 between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
If you live in England, different organisations provide advocacy for different local authorities. If you ask, your local authority should tell you who provides advocacy in your area. Coram Voice and NYAS may be able to help you find out if you have problems. You can call Coram Voice on 0808 800 5792 or NYAS on 0808 808 1001.
If you live in Northern Ireland, VOYPIC (Voices of Young People in Care) offers advocacy – give them a call on 028 9024 4888.
If you live in Wales, get in touch with MEIC. They support all children and young people in Wales, up to the age of 25. You can give them a call on 0808 802 3456, text them on 84001 (both are free!) or chat to them online.
