Grants & Funding

2006 entrants
From September 2006, new full-time students from lower income households will be able to apply for a non-repayable maintenance grant of up to £2,700 a year. How much you get will depend on your income and that of your household.

If that income is around £15,000 or less you are likely to be eligible for a full grant worth £2,700 a year. Partial grants are likely to be available for those with a household income of between around £15,000 and around £33,000.  Grants are payable in three instalments one at the start of each term.

Bursaries
Universities and colleges wishing to charge the maximum fee of £3,000 a year for a course will have to provide at least £300 a year in non-repayable financial support, such as bursaries, to students on these courses who are receiving the full £2,700 maintenance grant. This means that students who receive the full maintenance grant and who are on courses charging £3,000 will get a package of non-repayable support of at least £3,000 a year. Some students will get more than this, as many universities and colleges are expected to offer financial help worth more than £300.

Additional grants
It is important to note that grants are also available to help with the extra costs incurred by certain groups of students, such as those with children, those with adult dependants and those with disabilities. These can be considerable: in certain circumstances students with children can get a childcare grant covering up to 85 per cent of the total childcare costs, while students with disabilities can get Disabled Students Allowances of well in excess of £10,000 a year. For further information on how to apply, contact your local education authority.

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