If you're applying to university for the first time, you don't have to pay for your course upfront. You can get a Government loan to help cover the costs.
The following information applies to students from the UK and Ireland. It also applies to EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who have citizens' rights following Brexit.
Student loans
The two main loans are:
- a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of your course
- a Maintenance Loan to help pay for living costs (full-time students only).
There's more information about the loans below.
You can apply for both these loans online. Log in to Student Finance England to get started.
Full-time students can apply for the Tuition Fee Loan and the Maintenance Loan.
The rules around eligibility are complex and we recommend visiting Gov.UK for full details of who qualifies for student finance.
You won't start repaying your Maintenance and Tuition Fee loans until you're earning more than £25,000 a year (£28,470 for those who started a course on or before 31 July 2023). See below for more information about repaying student loans.
Tuition fee loan:
Full-time students can apply for Tuition Fee Loan. It covers the cost of your course fees for the duration of your studies.
The money is paid directly to your university every semester.
Visit Student Finance England to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.
Maintenance loan:
You could receive support to help pay for living costs while you're studying. Living costs include things like accommodation, food and travel.
Most full-time UK students can apply for a Maintenance Loan from the Government. Some EU students may also be eligible. Visit Student Finance England* to get started.
The exact amount you’ll receive depends on your personal circumstances, including where you live during term-time and your household income.
There's more information about the Maintenance Loan on the Government's website, along with an online calculator that gives a more detailed idea of exactly how much money you could get.
Repaying student loans
Repaying your student loan: How much you repay - GOV.UK
Some student loans need to be repaid:
- Tuition Fee Loan
- Maintenance Loan
You won't start repaying these loans until after you graduate, and your income exceeds the threshold for repayments.
You do not need to pay back other student finance, for example grants and bursaries.
Generally the earliest you’ll start repaying is:
- the April after you leave your course
- the April four years after the course started if you’re studying part-time and your course is longer than four years
Your repayments automatically stop if either:
- you stop working
- your income goes below the threshold
Income thresholds
Repayments are only ever based on your income. Parental/partner income is not included.
There are a number of different student finance arrangements, called Plans. Most new undergraduate students will be funded by Student Finance England and will be on Plan 5.
Each Plan has a different income threshold for repayments. Once you earn more than the threshold, you will start to repay your student loans:
- Plan 1 (funding from Student Finance Northern Ireland): £26,065
- Plan 2 (funding from Student Finance England or Student Finance Wales; course started between 1 September 2012 and 31 July 2023): £28,470
- Plan 3 (postgraduate loans, see our page about postgraduate student finance)
- Plan 4 (funding from Student Awards Agency Scotland): £32,745
- Plan 5 (funding from Student Finance England; course started after 1 August 2023): £25,000
You’ll repay 9% of your income over the threshold if you’re on Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5.
Examples for Plan 5 students are:
| Yearly Gross Income |
Monthly Salary |
9% Contribution (Yearly) |
9% Contribution (Monthly) |
| £25,000 |
£2,083 |
£0 |
£0 |
| £27,000 |
£2,250 |
£180 |
£15 |
| £30,000 |
£2,500 |
£450 |
£37.50 |
| £45,000 |
£3,750 |
£1,800 |
£150 |
There is no upper limit for repayments.
Interest
Current interest rates can be found here: Repaying your student loan: How much you repay - GOV.UK
UG self-funding:
Home Students
Payment can be made by using one of the following methods:
- In-person at the university by credit or debit card (Visa or MasterCard)
- Online through the VLE in the "My Accounts" section
- By bank transfer (quote Full Name and ARUL ID in the reference):
- Account name: LCA LONDON LIMITED
- Account number: 53468872
- Sort code: 60-70-05
- IBAN: GB58NWBK60700553468872
PG students:
Paying your fees
Students not receiving a Master's Loan
You won't need to pay fees until you've accepted an offer to study here. Fees can be paid in three instalments through the VLE at the following times:
- if you're starting in September: one third of the remaining fees at registration, a further third in January, and the final third in April.
- if you're starting in January: one third of the remaining fees at registration, a further third in April, and the final third in September.
- if you're starting in May: one third of the remaining fees at registration, a further third in September, and the final third in January.
Students receiving a Master's Loan
You won't need to pay fees until you've accepted an offer to study here. Fees can be paid in three instalments through the VLE.
There are a number of eligibility criteria for the Master's Loan:
If you're an eligible postgraduate student, you can apply for a Master's Loan to cover your course fees and living costs. You can borrow up to:
- · £13,206 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2026
The amount you'll receive is not dependent on your or your family's income. If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.
The loan is available to students taking a full, standalone Master's degree, worth a minimum of 180 credits.
Check your eligibility and apply for a Master's Loan at Gov.UK
Repaying your loan
The Master's Loan needs to be repaid. However, you won't start repaying until after you graduate and you're earning more than £21,000 a year.
Generally the earliest you’ll start repaying is:
- the April after you leave your course
- the April four years after the course started if you’re studying part-time and your course is longer than four years
Your repayments automatically stop if either:
- you stop working
- your income goes below the threshold
You do not need to pay back other student finance, for example grants and bursaries.
Income thresholds
Repayments are only ever based on your income. Parental/partner income is not included.
There are a number of different student finance arrangements, called Plans. Many postgraduate students will be on the Postgraduate Loan Plan, sometimes known as Plan 3.
Each Plan has a different income threshold for repayments. Once you earn more than the threshold, you will start to repay your loan.
The current threshold for the Postgraduate Loan Plan is £21,000 per year.
You’ll repay 6% of your income over the threshold.
Interest
Interest is charged on the Master's Loan, with the exact amount varying depending which Plan you're on. Currently, the rate is 6.2% if you’re on the Postgraduate Loan Plan.
You can find full details of interest rates on Gov.UK.