If you are a first degree student and ordinarily resident in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you are eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan to cover your tuition fees. If you are a first degree student and ordinarily resident in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you are eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan to cover your tuition fees. You can also apply for maintenance loans and grants. We advise you to make your application early to ensure that your funding is in place for the start of the session.Tuition FeesIf you're studying full time for your first degree you may be eligible to apply to Student Finance England/Wales or Northern Ireland for a loan to cover your full tuition fees.Links toStudent Finance England Student Finance Wales Student Finance Northern Ireland Student loansStudent loans are the main source of support towards living costs.What you will receive is dependent on your household income.You make one online application for both your tuition fee loan and living cost support. The UK government has also announced its intention to increase the maximum loans for living costs for the 2025-2026 academic year. Learn more about changes to undergraduate tuition fees and student support arrangements on the UK government websiteApplyingYou can apply to Student Finance England/Wales or Northern Ireland every year you are studying if you want help with paying your tuition fees.Links toStudent Finance England Student Finance Wales Student Finance Northern Ireland As the new academic year gets underway, please be vigilant of scams.In September 2025, SLC will pay approximately £2.2 billion in maintenance payments to almost one million students starting and returning to university. However, scammers can target students, with text message (SMS) fraud currently the most popular form of scam.Our top tipsCheck the quality of the communication. Misspelling, poor punctuation and bad grammar are often signs of 'phishing' scams.Look out for any emails, phone calls or SMS messages you think are suspicious, especially around the time you’re expecting a payment.Scam emails and text messages are often sent in bulk to many people at the same time. They're unlikely to contain both your first and last name. Emails like this often start with ‘Dear Student’ - so be on guard if you see this.Messages that seem urgent are also unlikely to be genuine. For example, if the email says ‘failure to respond in 24 hours will result in your account being closed’. Think before you click. If you receive an email or SMS that contains a link that you’re not sure of, hover over it to check that it goes where it’s supposed to. If you’re still in any doubt, always go direct to the source rather than clicking on a potentially dangerous link.Scammers can use a variety of methods to try and get you to pay money or share personal details. This includes the use of fraudulent phone calls, social posts and direct messaging on digital platforms. If you're suspicious, always use official phone numbers, your online account and official communication channels to verify the contact you received is genuine.Reporting suspicious messages If you receive a suspicious message, please report it to our Economic Crime Unit immediately by emailing report@phishing.gov.uk. Pleae also call the dedicated hotline on 0300 100 0059.There's more guidance on how to identify a scam on GOV.UK.University of Edinburgh fundingStudents who live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland may be eligible for a University of Edinburgh Bursary.The amount you receive depends on your residual household income.Further information can be found at www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/undergraduate/uk-eu/bursaries/ruk This article was published on 2024-07-29
