If you are a student, you may qualify for certain benefits, aids and programs. This includes Maintenance Loans, Student Support, the Turing Scheme and various student grants. This Your Benefits article will walk you through everything you need to know.
What is a Maintenance Loan?
You may take a course that started on 1 August 2016 or after. If this is the case, you could be eligible for a Maintenance Loan and Tuition Fee Loan.
These two types of loans are applied to through the same process. Additionally, when paying them back, you will do so at the same time for both. However, they are still two different types of loans.
Maintenance Loans are a kind of student loans. Their goal is to help with student’s living costs while they are studying at university. This includes everything that might be a drain on your bank account. Note that tuition costs are more so taken care of by Tuition Fee Loans.
What is a Tuition Fee Loan?
The price of your tuition is decided by your college or university. As such, since the Tuition Fee Loan pays for some of it, it is awarded straight to them. You do not receive the payments yourself.
You may be a full-time student. If this is the case, the maximum amount of Tuition Fee Loan you could receive is £9,250. You may instead be taking an accelerated degree course. If this is the case, the maximum amount of Tuition Fee Loan you could receive is £11,100.
Am I eligible for a Maintenance Loan?
You may be able to receive a Maintenance Loan to help with some of your living costs. In order to be eligible, you will have to give details about two things. First, the start date of your course. Second, details about your household income.
Your household income is calculated first with income that you receive through your own property, investments or savings. For example, this can include receiving rents or dividends. Your circumstances can also change what is included. For example, your partner’s or parents’ income may also count.
You will then receive the payment(s) in your bank account. This is the case at the beginning of each term.
How much can you get from Maintenance Loan?
| Maintenance Loan amounts you can receive for living costs in 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 to 2023 academic year | 2021 to 2022 academic year | |
| You are at or older than 60 years old on the first day of the first year of your academic course | £4,106 or less | £4,014 or less |
| You spend a year abroad and studying for a UK course | £11,136 or less | £10,886 or less |
| Living in London, apart from your parents | £12,667 or less | £12,667 or less |
| Living outside London and apart from your parents | £9,706 or less | £9,488 or less |
| Living with your parents | £8,171 or less | £7,987 or less |
How much you receive from Maintenance Loan depends on the start date of your course and your household income. You receive payments directly.
However, you may not be eligible for the full amount of Maintenance Loan for your situation. If you are struggling to pay for your other living costs, Your Benefits can help. Our free simulator can calculate the total amount of aid you are eligible for. As such, you can know exactly how many other student benefits you could receive.
Additionally, our advisers are available and ready to help you save money by reducing all of your bills. This includes electricity, phone, water… Don’t hesitate to contact us today to use these services, or if you have any other questions.
Note that your course may have gone online because of the coronavirus pandemic. If this is the case, you don’t have to notify Student Loans Company (SLC), if your living arrangements are the same as before. If this is not the case, you may change your address by logging in to your Student Finance England account.
Note that many other student benefits, and benefits in general, require that you disclose change in situations.
Can I receive additional help?
It is likely that you could be eligible to receive help with other expenses. For example, you may be able to receive a grant to cover part of travel expenses. This is the case if you are studying away from home, but normally reside in England.
You may also be a dental or medical student. If this is the case, you could be eligible to receive help to cover (at least partially) clinical placement costs. Additionally, there are many more student benefits you could earn.
What is Student Support?
Student Support is a financial aid given by the Government. Like many other student benefits, you likely qualify if you live in England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland. You will receive financial support to pay for costs while studying for certain courses.
Am I eligible for Student Support?
You may receive Student Support if you live in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. There are differences in terms of eligibility for each country. This is also the case for the amount of money that you could be eligible for.
If you live in England, you should apply to Student Finance England. You will find everything you need to know on how to do so on their website. When you need to apply depends on when your course starts or started. You must apply within:
- nine months of your course’s start date
- six months of your part-time course’s start date
If you are studying in Scotland, you should apply to the Student Awards Agency in Scotland (SAAS). You will find everything you need to know for how to apply there. Your application’s deadline depends on when your course start date is.
If you live in Wales, you should apply to Student Finance Wales. You will find everything you have to know about how to apply there. The deadline depends on the start date of your course. You must apply within 9 months of the start of the academic year for full-time courses, and six months if you are in a part-time course.
If you study in Northern Ireland, you should apply to Student Finance Northern Ireland. You will find all the information you need to know how to apply on the website. The deadline for your application depends on the start date of your course. You must apply within 9 months of the start of the academic year for full-time courses, and six months if you are in a part-time course.
What courses qualify me for Student Support?
You may only receive Undergraduate Student Support if studying for a qualifying course. This includes:
- being in a teacher training course
- studying for a Diploma of Higher Education
- studying for a Higher National Diploma (HND) or Certificate (HNC)
- working towards earning an undergraduate degree
You may be studying on higher education (HE) postgraduate course. If this is the case, you may be eligible to receive aid like Postgraduate Loan, Postgraduate Masters’ Loan, or Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. If you are currently in a further education (FE) course, you need to contact your institution to get access to funding.
What is the Turing Scheme?
The Turing Scheme is a government programme that allows students to work and study abroad. This scheme allows those who qualify to get funding to pay for training and education around the world. Additionally, it also allows organizations in the United Kingdom to propose experiences abroad to their students. The funding is available for United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories organizations, for school projects, training, vocational education, higher education and further.
The goal of the Turing Scheme is to enable organizations to give students and pupils the chance to increase their employability, knowledge and skills through those experiences. Experiences abroad can not only teach them language and soft skills, but also openness, awareness and understanding of other cultures.
Am I eligible for the Turing Scheme?
The Turing Scheme is available for United Kingdom organizations. Requirements and eligibility depends on the sector of the organizations. For example, if you are in Higher Education, you might have a certain set of requirements.
If you are in further education and vocational education and training, you will have others. Finally, other schools will have other requirements.
What is my eligibility depending on my sector?
You may have a higher education (HE) project. If this is the case, the following need to be true:
- The organization you are in must be registered either in the United Kingdom or in a British Overseas Territory as a higher education provider
- People applying to the Turing Scheme must be either students or graduates (the application to the scheme must be within 12 months of graduation)
Your project may be in further education (FE) or vocational education and training (VET). In this case, the organization you are in need to be registered as such in the United Kingdom or in a British Overseas Territory. Additionally, they must be one of the following, a:
- further education school or college active in that field and in the vocational education and training field
- regional or local public authority, or a coordination body, or another organization that has a role in either the VET or FE fields
- public or private organization, or a company working with, training or hosting apprentices or learners in the vocational education and training and further education fields
- company or a private or public organization applying for a further education and/or vocational education and training providers consortium
Additionally, to be eligible, participants need to be the following:
- FE or VET learners (this includes apprentices)
- within 12 months of their VET graduation
- someone who is not currently in a permanent training or education
- this is the case also for people who are upskilling or re-training. However, the training must be happening either at a school or a college
What if my project is in a school?
Your project may be in a school. If so, they must be registered either in the United Kingdom or in a British Overseas Territory and be one of the following:
- providing either a technical, vocational or general education, on a level from primary school until upper secondary education
- a national school consortium
- the body needs to be applying for either multiple school, regional or local authorities, a social enterprise, school coordinating bodies, Multi-Academy Trust or another organisation in the school education sector
How can I apply for the Turing Scheme?
You can apply for the Turing Scheme on the application portal online. Note that only organization can apply. Individual students cannot use the application portal to apply themselves. They must do so through their organization.
You may be applying for or are an organization in the higher education sector. In this case, the deadline for applications is Friday 9 April 2021 at 12:00pm (noon). You may be applying for or are an organization in the vocational education and training or further education section. In this case, the deadline for applications is Friday 7 May 2021 at 12:00pm (noon).
What are student grants?
Student grants are amounts of money awarded to students that do not need to be refunded or paid back. This is like many other student benefits.
If you go to university and qualify, you can apply. There are different types of grants. For example, some are means-tested, like the Maintenance Grant. “Means-tested” means that how much you get is reliant on your household income.
There are also other types of funding that students could be eligible to receive. For example, there are student bursaries. They are payments that often have more specific eligibility. For example, someone may need to be taking a specific course, a care leaver, or come from a low-income background to qualify.
Payments could also be tied to types of expenses (like childcare).
Then there are student scholarships. They award educational achievements. However, they are also often tied to different factors, like your course, gender, or country.
There are also student apprenticeships and sponsorships. Indeed, they can award you a salary and cover your fees. As a trade-off, your degree may take longer to receive. However, this is also because you will be working as you are studying.
There are also hardship funds, but they should not be considered the same as other aid. Indeed, they can help with payments if you are in trouble and in university.
However, this is an emergency measure. As such, you cannot plan to earn it like other aids. They are not like most student benefits.
What different types of grants could I receive?
There are different types of benefits or grants that students can earn. They are the Maintenance Grant, Special Support Grant, Travel grant and Dependant’s and childcare grants.
First, let’s talk about the Maintenance Grant. If you live in Northern Ireland and are a full-time student, you may be eligible. Indeed, this grant is meant to help those who need assistance with living costs. Additionally, this is different from the Maintenance Loan, as it does not need to be paid back. You may live in England.
If this is the case, your course must have started prior to August 2016. If it started after that date, you cannot earn a Maintenance Grant. Finally, you may live in Wales.
In this case, the name of the grant is the Welsh Government Learning Grant. Note that this is different from the Welsh Government Learning Grant, Further Education.
The Special Support Grant (SSG) is meant to help those who are on income or housing support. You may also have a disability or be a single parent. In this case, you could also be eligible. In such a case, you could earn SSG instead of Maintenance Grants.
However, if you live in Wales, you may be eligible to receive both of these benefits as a student.
Am I eligible for Maintenance Grant?
You might be from Wales or Northern Ireland. If this is the case, you could receive a Maintenance Grant. However, all of the following must also apply to you:
- you either live in the United Kingdom or meet all of the other residency requirements
- your household income meets all of the requirements
- you are both a full-time student and studying for a qualifying course
The higher your household income is, the less grant you will be able to receive. This is not the case for students in Wales, however. How much you receive from the grant is not that impacted by your household income. Indeed, how much you will get is mainly impacted by where you are living while studying.
The maximum amount you will be able to receive can be anywhere from £3,475 up to £10,124. It depends on where you live, and what your household income is.
If you are not sure if you, as a student, qualify for this or other benefits, Your Benefits can help. We offer a free service that calculates how much aid you are entitled to. Simply use our free simulator to see how much more student benefits you could be earning.
Additionally, our advisers are available to help you save on all of your bills. This includes phone, water, electricity… Contact them for more information.
