Undergraduate Financial Support

Student Loans and Grants

Fees

If you are from the UK* or EU, you may be able take out a Tuition Fee Loan from the Student Loans Company, meaning that you will not have to pay your fees up front! It’s not means-tested, so you will be eligible no matter what level your household income is.

*Regional variances may apply for help towards tuition fees (e.g. Welsh Students are eligible for a Grant to part-pay the fee, and a reduced Loan).

Living Costs (Maintenance Loan) – Full-time Students from England

You can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help pay for living costs. The non-means-tested element is available to all full-time students; what you will receive from the remaining means-tested element is based on household income.

There are special rules for repaying your Loans.

Living Costs (Maintenance Grant) – Full-time Students from England

In addition to the Loan, you can apply for a Maintenance Grant*, available if you are from a lower-income background. The Grant does not have to be repaid!

*From 2016/17 the Maintenance Grant is being replaced by a Loan. If you are already studying in Higher Education and qualify for the Maintenance Grant you will continue to receive it.

Your financial help towards living costs depends upon your household income. Have a go on the Student Finance Calculator to see how much you could get.

Living Costs (Other) – Full-time Students from England

You may qualify for additional help from SLC if you have children of your own, look after an adult dependent, or qualify for Benefits. For up to date information please see gov.uk, or call Student Finance England on 0300 100 0607. Please also see gov.uk if you started your course before September 1^st 2012.

If you live in the UK but outside England...

there is still financial help towards your living costs if you’re a full-time student. Please see the contact details listed below for further details:

EU Residents

There are some cases where you might qualify as a UK ‘Home’ Resident student. Please see the UKCISA website to see if you qualify.

Part-Time Students and Living Costs

If you’re a Part-time Student, you will not be eligible for any Student Loans Company help towards your living costs. Instead you would be expected to continue with your claim for Benefits, stay in paid employment, or locate alternative sources of funding such as savings. Please see our page on Other Financial Information to get some ideas about other sources of funding.

There is an exception for students enrolled on Part-time courses due to ill-health or a disability, if your course has been specially adapted for you from a Full-time programme.

Student Finance Guides

More in-depth Guides are available from Student Finance England, please see the list of Guides .

Further help from the University of Leicester

Bursaries and Scholarships

We have a range of Bursaries and Scholarships at the University of Leicester. We also have other help available aimed at students with elite sporting skills and musical excellence, and further financial support for Care Leavers.

The offer changes year-on-year, so if you have a concern but cannot find the information relating to your Year of Entry to the University of Leicester, please email welfare@le.ac.uk with your details and we will help you look into your circumstances.

If you started at University of Leicester before 2013/14 and need information on your relevant package, or feel you have a reason to check your eligibility, please email Registry or contact them on 0116 252 2448.

Information on 2016/17 Entry and beyond will be available in due course, and a link will appear on the Student Welfare Service pages.

Hardship Fund

You may qualify for help from the University of Leicester Hardship Fund if you meet our criteria for support. The Hardship Fund is available to all Home and EU students. Please see our page on Hardship Funds.

All under graduate first years who disclose a disability to the AccessAbility Centre, and provide the relevant supporting evidence, will automatically be awarded a £500 Student Life Transition Award. The definition of disability is wide, it would include, for example, students with sensory and mobility difficulties; students who have conditions on the autistic spectrum, or long term health conditions; students who have ADD, ADHD, or mental health issues as well as students with a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.

We want to encourage all students to disclose any disabilities as early as possible to ensure that students aware of the support available at the earliest opportunity.  We also hope that £500 will help ease that transition from home to independent student life in your first year. Please contact AccessAbility .

Benefits, Tax Credits and Council Tax

Part-time students may still be able to claim Benefits and Tax Credits. Please tell the relevant Agencies of your student status, and to comply with your Jobseeker’s Agreement you might need to provide details of your weekly hours of attendance.  Also, some of your Benefits (such as Housing Benefit) may require a new application.

Most Full-time students will generally not qualify for Benefits and Tax Credits, however there are some exceptions if you have children, a disability, or if you live with a partner on a low income. This may also enable you to claim the Special Support Grant from Student Finance England.

If you experience any delays in receiving Benefits that you remain entitled to, as a result of becoming a student, please contact the Welfare Service.

All full-time students are exempt from paying Council Tax, but the rules can be complicated if you live with other people who have a liability to pay. Please contact the Student Welfare Service to discuss your situation if there is any doubt.

Previous Study

Please see the gov.uk information on Eligibility which gives a general overview of how previous study is viewed when calculating your student finance.

We would encourage you to contact us about your situation if you have any previous study.

Previous undergraduate study affects your funding for an NHS-funded course in different ways to how it affects Student Loans Company funded courses.

Study Abroad/ERASMUS Exchange

If you plan to take a Year Abroad our leaflet gives a brief overview of some of the financial implications, and we would encourage you to contact us to discuss your circumstances closely. The International Office holds up to date fee information and finance available for both Study Abroad and ERASMUS options.

Support for Care leavers

If you are leaving care, there are some aspects of student support offered by the University of Leicester which may be of specific interest to you.

University of Leicester Bursary for Care Leavers

If you are under 25 you may be eligible to receive a payment of £2000 from the University in each academic year of undergraduate study.  If indicated that you are a care leaver on your UCAS application we will contact you a few weeks before you are due to start study. Alternatively contact welfare@le.ac.uk for an application form

Accommodation

365 day University accommodation is available on request

If you anticipate requiring accommodation during any of the vacations please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your needs

Financial advice

We also offer advice about maximising all income available to you as well as assistance with funding applications, help in liaising with your Local Authority if needed, support in relation to any concerns you may have as well as liaising with other support services on your behalf as appropriate – both within the University and externally

If a care leaver or Support worker please contact Adrian Gascoigne asg19@le.ac.uk for any queries or concerns.

More information

Contact us by email or call 0116 223 1185

Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert

The Student Room

Money4MedStudents

If you are worried about paying your fees, please contact the Fees Payments Office (or the Distance Learning Finance Team) to discuss your options.