Who is eligible to apply for a student loan for living costs
To be eligible for a loan for living costs, you must:
- be studying on a full-time course that qualifies for a loan; and
- meet the same residence eligibility conditions as for the Students' Allowances Scheme; and
- not be in breach of any obligation to repay any loan; and
- be under 50 on the first day of the first academic year of your course; or
- be aged 50 to 54 and plan to return to employment after completing the course.
If you are under 16 when you start your course, we cannot assess your entitlement to a student loan. However, you can apply for your loan at the same time as other support you are entitled to (fees and bursary). When you turn 16, we will assess your loan entitlement and send this information electronically to the SLC. The SLC will set up your loan account and send you a payment schedule to tell you how and when they will pay your loan.
Student loan amounts
The loan for living costs covers 52 weeks from the first day of the academic year of your course, except in a final year of study for which there are special rates. The amount of loan you can get depends on the level of your income and, if this applies, your parents' or husband's, wife's or civil partner's income. We will assess what contribution you or your parents or your husband, wife, civil partner or partner should make to your support. We will first apply any contribution to your support to any supplementary grants you are due. We will then apply any outstanding contribution to the income-assessed part of the loan as shown in the tables below.
Studying outside the London area
The loan available for a 30 week course, if you study outside the London area as follows.
| If you are living in a hall of residence or in lodgings | If you are living in the parents' home |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum* loan £ |
Income-assessed part £ |
Non income-assessed part £ |
Maximum* loan £ |
Income-assessed part £ |
Non income-assessed part £ |
|
| Full year | 4, 510 | 2,355 | 2,155 | 3,570 | 1,725 | 1,845 |
| Final year | 3,915 | 1,890 | 2,025 | 3,120 | 1,390 | 1,730 |
*If you are eligible for the Young Students' Outside Scotland Bursary, this will replace part of your loan support.
We will pay the 'full-year' rate of loan if you are in any year except the final year of a course that lasts more than one year. We will pay the 'final-year' rate of loan if you are in the last year of your course or are studying an HNC or other one-year course.
If you are a dependant student living in the family home and your parents' joint income is below £23,660, you can apply for the higher rate of loan. This rate of loan is also available to independent students living in the family home no matter how much the family income is. If you want to apply for the higher rate of loan, please send a letter with your application.
The extra weekly payments for each week you have to attend the course over 30 weeks and 3 days are as follows:
| £53 | If you are living in your parents' home. |
| £81 | If you are an independent student or you are living elsewhere |
If you undertake a period of paid or unpaid practical placement for a full or part year of your course, you can still apply for the student loan as shown in the table above. If you must take your placement abroad , you could get more of a student loan.
If you are on a full-year paid placement you will not receive the Young Students' Outside Scotland Bursary, Additional Loan or supplementary grants during that time. If you are on a part year placement either paid or unpaid , you will receive the full-support package available.
Studying in the London area
The loan available for a 30 week course if you study in the London area is as follows.
| Maximum* loan £ |
Income-assessed £ |
Non income-assessed £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Full year | 5,565 | 3,235 | 2,330 |
Final year |
4,825 | 2,660 | 2,165 |
*If you are eligible for the Young Students' Outside Scotland Bursary, this will replace part of your loan support.
We will pay the 'full-year' rate of loan if you are in any year except the final year of a course that lasts more than one year. We will pay the 'final-year' rate of loan if you are in the last year of your course or are studying an HNC or other one-year course.
If you are a dependant student living in the family home and your parents' joint income is below £23,660, you can apply for the higher rate of loan. This rate of loan is also available to independent students living in the family home no matter how much the family income is. If you want to apply for the higher rate of loan, please send a letter with your application.
You will receive an extra weekly payment of £103 for each week you have to attend the course over 30 weeks and 3 days.
If you undertake a period of paid or unpaid practical placement for a full or part year of your course, you can still apply for the student loan as shown in the table above.
If you are on a full-year paid placement you will not receive the Young Students' Outside Scotland Bursary, Additional Loan or supplementary grants during that time. If you are on a part year placement either paid or unpaid , you will receive the full-support package available.
Find out about contributions we may deduct from your student loan entitlement.