Aside from tuition fees, students will need to budget for accommodation, bills and food if they are moving away from home. Transport is usually another significant cost for some students. Students usually also have to pay for photocopying and printing, stationary and books, specialist equipment and field trips.

Most students access student finance to support them. This page describes the main sources of funding available and how to access it. Many students supplement this income with part-time jobs, which TBA recommends. We also strongly advise against payday loans due to their astronomical interest rates.

The savvy student knows that there are lots of other ways to save money, such as student bank accounts and getting discounts with NUS Extra cards. Full-time students who only live with other students will also be exempt from paying Council Tax. TBA also offers a host of scholarships to eligible students.

So even if student finance seems daunting, it really is just a case of being informed and doing some upfront planning to make sure the correct finances are in place.

Regardless of where a student studies their degree, fees do not need to be paid in advance or during the course of studies. Students can take out a loan to cover the cost of tuition, which is paid directly to their education providers on their behalf.

Regardless of where a student studies their degree, fees do not need to be paid in advance or during the course of studies. Students can take out a loan to cover the cost of tuition, which is paid directly to their education providers on their behalf.

Tuition Fee Loans are non-means tested, whereas the size of a Maintenance Loan is partially determined by the finances of either the student, their partner, or their parents, depending on their circumstances. The Student Loans Company calculate the size of Maintenance Loans by looking into the income of a student’s parents (including a parent’s spouse/partner if the student lives with them). If a student is married or aged over 25 and living with their partner, then the income of the student’s spouse/partner will be assessed to determine the size of the Maintenance Loan.

Students who are classed as having ‘Independent Status’ will not receive a Maintenance Loan based on their parents’ or partner’s income. This applies to students who meet any of the following criteria:

• Aged over 25 at the start of the academic year
• Have been married prior to the start of the academic year
• Supported themselves for at least three years
• Have no living parents
• Are responsible for a child/children
• Are estranged from their parents

Students with children or other dependents may be entitled to other funding:

1.  Parents’ Learning Allowance: up to £1,669 a year, dependent on household income
2. Childcare Grant: up to 164.70 a week for one child in approved childcare, or up to £282.36 a week for two children
3. Adult Dependents’ Grant: students with an adult who financially depends on them (other than their adult children) may be entitled to a grant worth up to £2,925

Upon finishing the course and graduating, the Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan are bundled together and start to accrue interest. Repayment takes the form of 9% of income above £25,000. This repayment is taken even if a student did not finish their degree.

Annual salary before tax (left)
Approximate monthly repayment (right)

£25,000                                                      £0
£30,000                                                      £37
£35,000                                                      £75
£40,000                                                      £112

1.  Register your details at gov.uk/studentfinance.
2. Answer the security questions, create a password and write down the Customer Reference Number somewhere safe as it will be needed every time you log in.
3. Go step-by-step through the application process and remember to save as you go. You can always log in and change the information you have entered.
4. The system can verify your identity using your passport number. If you don’t have a passport you will need to post your birth certificate and a complete proof of identity form to Student Finance England.
5. Once you have completed the application and checked all the sections, you can submit it. Check its progress using your password and Customer Reference Number.
6. If you do not qualify for ‘Independent Status’, you will need to provide your parents’ or guardians’ financial details for the previous tax year. This can be done either online or via a paper application. Proof of income may be required.
7. If you are married, your partner’s income will need to be assessed or, if you have ‘Independent Status’, you will be assessed based on your own income.
8. We recommend that you give ‘consent to share’ so that your university can assess you for additional financial support.
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Students with a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (SpLD) may be entitled to DSA. This support is calculated based upon needs, not income. DSA does not have to be repaid and can be used to pay for any required additional support, equipment or resources, for example: specialist equipment or computer software; a one-to-one study skills tutor; non-medical helpers; or any extra travel fees.

If you have had to suspend, withdraw from or repeat a year of study due to genuine personal reasons, you may be able to apply for Student Finance’s Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR). Student Finance can offer additional years of funding if they deem your circumstances to have affected your ability to study. You will still be financially liable for any original years of study.

Student Finance generally offers three years of funding for a full time undergraduate degree plus a gift year, which can be used for circumstances like repeating a year of study (if your course is longer than three years, Student Finance will offer funding for the duration of the course plus a gift year).

If you do not have enough funding to complete your studies, and have genuine personal reasons, you may be able to apply for CPR to access additional years of funding. For part time courses, Student Finance offer up to twelve years of funding, with no gift year.

It will depend on the individual student’s circumstances and Student Finance’s discretion. If your ability to study has been affected by personal circumstances such as ill health or bereavement and you have had to suspend, withdraw or repeat studies, you may be entitled to CPR.

To apply for CPR, you must write a covering letter to Student Finance, stating your reasons for applying for CPR, how this has affected your ability to study, and provide eligible evidence to support your application (e.g. a letter from a GP, social services or an upstanding person in the community, medical records or death certificate).

Repeating part of your studies can affect your entitlement to Student Finance funding, so it’s important to find out the information beforehand to consider your options and access support.

TBA are proud to be able to offer a number of scholarships to help students study.

Affiliations include, Dance World Cup, SYWTD, The British Arts Awards, along with scholarships awarded in house by TBA themselves.