Grants and Loans

Overview

Some students pay the whole of their tuition and living costs from their own resources, some borrow the whole amount, while many borrow in part and self-finance in part, and a few benefit from scholarships and bursaries.

The loans that are available vary based on your nationality or residence and the course you are taking. In many cases loans are available both from governments and private firms.

The sections below relate to the main student groups, if you do not fit into one of these categories and would like further information on financial support please write to us here [contact form].

Undergraduate UK students

Government Loan: Student Finance

Buckingham students may choose to apply for support from Student Finance England.

The maximum tuition fee loan available to Buckingham students is £15410 (£6165+£6165+£3080) for a 9-term undergraduate programme. For the purpose of Student Finance England, 9 term degrees are deemed 3-year degrees; please select the 3-year option during your Student Finance application.

For accelerated programmes (8 terms) the maximum loan is £14,800 (£7,400 per annum). For the purpose of Student Finance England, 8 term degrees are deemed 2-year accelerated degrees; please select the 2-year accelerated option during your Student Finance application.

Student Finance England loan information

The repayable Tuition Fee Loan is paid directly to the University. Buckingham students will not be eligible for a loan that covers the full tuition fee charged. If you are eligible for this loan, it will be paid three times a year, despite the fact that Buckingham runs four terms in a year. Students are responsible for paying any remaining amounts.
An annual repayable Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs. The amount of loan depends on household income and the type of study. Further details at Loans and Grants – Gov.UK.

Sources of help include Student Finance and Grants and bursaries for adult learners. There are separate awards agencies for students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Please note that applicants residing in Wales may not be eligible for student loans at this time. The University hopes to resolve this issue in the future but wishes to make current applicants aware that other avenues of financial support for studies may need to be explored. Applicants are advised to speak to the Student Loans Company in the first instance.

Watch: Student Finance, how and when to apply

Disabled Students’ Allowance

UK students who are registered disabled or dyslexic are entitled to the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). The DSA is obtained through Local Educational Authorities and is not a loan, but a grant.

Please note that students from outside the UK are, unfortunately, not entitled to the Disabled Students’ Allowance.

Private loans

StepEx – Future Earnings Agreement

Undergraduate students may also apply for a Future Earning Agreement via StepEx to help cover the cost of tuition fees.

A Future Earning Agreement is a form of deferred payment scheme whereby a portion of course fees are waived in exchange for an agreement to repay a fixed percentage of post-graduation earnings for a limited period.

More information about Future Earning Agreements.

Undergraduate EU students

As an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, you can generally apply for financial help to cover the cost of tuition fees when studying in England (conditions apply – for more information, visit Student Finance. All eligible full-time EU students (whether new or continuing) can take out a tuition fee loan to help towards the cost of tuition fees.

The maximum you can borrow is the same as that of other universities; namely, an annual repayable Tuition Fee Loan of £6,165 which is paid directly to the university. If you are eligible for this loan, it will be paid termly. Students are responsible for paying the remaining balance to the University for each term’s fees. The loan is administered by The Student Loan Company and is funded by the UK government. You start to repay the loan after you have left your course and are earning above a certain amount.

For more information, contact Student Finance and/or Grants and bursaries for adult learners.

You may also be eligible for educational funding in your own country – please contact your own local education department for further details.

Postgraduate students

Master’s loan

A system of postgraduate loans for Masters degrees is available in the UK with support from the UK Government.

The loan will now provide up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas. The loans can be used for tuition fees, living expenses or both. You can apply for a Buckingham Masters course now.

Watch: Postgraduate Masters Loan explained, Student Finance England

Who is eligible?

The loans are primarily intended to support English students. However, eligibility is based on residency, rather than nationality.

The main residency restrictions are as follows:

UK nationals must have been ordinarily resident in the UK at the start of their course, most recently in England.
EU nationals must have been ordinarily resident in the EU, EEA or Switzerland for three years up to the start of their course
Residency that is purely for the purposes of study will not normally be accepted as proof of eligibility.

Find out more:

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD. The loan is worth up to £27,892.

More details can be found on the Gov.uk website.

Watch: Postgraduate Doctoral Loan explained, Student Finance England

Private loans

Lendwise Loan

Postgraduate student or third or later year of a medical degree students who are UK residents may also apply for a Lendwise loan.

Lendwise is a private “peer-to-peer” student loan company. Tuition fees will be paid directly to The University of Buckingham and any personal expenses amount will be paid directly to you.

More information about Lendwise loans.

Sallie Mae loans

For students coming from the US, Sallie Mae offer private loans that are available as an option. Find out more on the Sallie Mae website.