There are several different types of student funding, some will need to be paid back once the student is earning above the salary threshold and can therefore support themselves to afford to repay the loan. Generally, if for whatever reason this is not the case, and a graduate is not earning above the threshold after study then they should not need to pay the loan back until they are in the financial position to do so.
You can click here for details of how to check which repayment plans are available.
You can also find out more about how student loans are repaid on the UK Government Website.
The most frequent terms you will hear are Tuition Fee Loans, Maintenance Loans, Scholarships, and Bursaries. Additionally, depending on what and where the student chooses to study, they may be eligible for additional sources of funding to adjust for living costs, health or disability support, or other reasons for funding support. Living in the UK for more than three years will also help with a student finance application.
Student Finance is provided by the Student Loans Company and is the main form of funding for UK students to cover tuition fees and maintenance at varying levels.
All tuition fees are covered by student finance, however, maintenance loans are based on household income and therefore there may need to be additional sources of funding such as from parents, part-time work, or savings. See our student funding resources or search 'funding' in the Help Centre for more details.
For those choosing to do a gap year in another country, there are other ways to fund this such as Erasmus+ and travel grants. These vary and depend on eligibility criteria you can find out more details about how this works on the UK Government website.
Grants for different students are also available from different organisations so it is best to have a look around to see if any additional funding is available based on the individual and household circumstances. For example, there are different grants for vegetarians/vegans lifestyles, different religious backgrounds, first-time and 'first generation' university students, carers, students with children, and many more.
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