This page contains information for students who are having their fees paid in full or part through a loan from the Student Loans Company.
If you’re a UK undergraduate student who meets the eligibility criteria - whether studying full-time or part-time - you can apply for a government loan to cover your entire tuition fee.
Check if you are eligible for a tuition fee loan.
This loan is available regardless of your household income. Once approved, the Student Loans Company pays your tuition fees directly to the university each year.
You may be eligible to apply for a maintenance loan to help with your living costs at university.
Your maintenance loan is paid directly to you in three instalments over the academic year, as long as you are fully enrolled and actively attending your course.
Although the tuition fee and maintenance loans must be repaid, you won’t begin making repayments until after you’ve graduated or left your course, and only if your earnings exceed the set repayment threshold.
Find out more about repaying student loans.
Who you apply to depends on where you have been living in the UK:
The process and eligibility criteria varies between countries. Visit the website for your country to find out the details.
You can apply for student finance using the details of your first choice university. If any of your details change, including the university you are attending or the course you are studying, you can update your student loan application online.
Be sure to apply for your loan well in advance to ensure your funding is in place by the start of your course.
To receive your maintenance loan, the University must first confirm your registration with the Student Loans Company. After this confirmation is sent, it typically takes 3–5 working days for the funds to reach your account.
Once you have completed steps 1–10 of the registration process, we aim to confirm your registration within two working days. The 3–5 working day payment timeframe begins from the point this confirmation is made.
Your first maintenance loan payment will be released after you have fully completed registration. The second and third instalments will then be paid at the start of each term.
It’s important to note that registration and attendance are not the same. The University confirms your registration once per academic year, while your attendance is confirmed three times a year, which is required for the release of your tuition fee loan payments.
The University is obliged to notify the Student Loans Company if you:
If you wish to make any of the changes listed above to your studies, you should first contact your school. Once your record has been updated, we will automatically notify the Student Loans Company via an electronic update, so you do not need to contact them separately.
See further information about how course changes can impact your fees on our Interruptions and Withdrawals page.
(University Switchboard)
+44 (0) 161 306 6000
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
