What are tuition fee loans?

A tuition fee loan is an amount of money you can borrow from the Government to cover the cost of your course. Student Finance England manages these loans on the Government's behalf.

Eligible students can borrow up to the full cost of their course. Where you live, your age and the course you intend to take can affect whether you can get a loan. The majority of UK/EU students are eligible, but if you have taken a degree previously or are not ordinarily resident in England, please read Student Finance England's guide Am I eligible for student finance? to double-check.

Please note that if you have previously taken a course at the same or a higher level, you are not usually eligible for a loan but may still be able to apply for other funding.

How much is the tuition fee loan?

As the maximum a University can charge for tuition is £9,000, new students can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,000 to cover the cost of the course. The amount you borrow depends on the cost of your course. If you study an honours degree at Anglia Ruskin then you will be eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £8,300.

How to apply for a loan

You don't need to have confirmed your place at university to apply for a student loan, you can enter your first choice instead, your details can then be updated online prior to your course starting. If you're due to start university full-time in September 2013/14 you can now apply to Student Finance England. If you are a part-time 2013/14 student you will be able to apply in summer 2013.

Applications are still open for full-time and part-time 2012/13 students (the deadline for applying is 9 months after the start of your course).

To apply you will need to have the following information:

• UK passport number
• Bank account details
• National Insurance number
• The university or college course details

The tuition fee loan is paid directly to the University at which you have accepted a place so you don't have to worry about fees on your first day but you must remember to register with your University on arrival in order to receive it.

Paying the money back

It's important to remember that you will be charged interest on your student loan from the day the first payment is made until you have paid the full amount back. You will be charged interest at the rate of inflation (RPI - Retail Price Index) plus 3%. Once you graduate you will then be charged interest at the rate of inflation until you begin employment.

If you start University in the 2012/13 or 2013/14 years, tuition fee loans don't have to be paid back until the April after your course has finished and you're earning at least £21,000 per year.

It's important to remember that a student loan doesn't count towards your credit record.

Many people will never pay back the full amount, find out more in our repayment section.

If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have different fee and funding arrangements. If you have been living in any of these countries you may not be eligible for support from Student Finance England. Each country has their own student finance website where you can find out more:

• Student Finance NI
• Student Finance Wales
• Student Awards Scotland