Student Grants Explained: Eligible students can take out Government Student Loans to help pay for their tuition fees and living costs, but many students are also eligible for Student Grants that don’t have to be paid back.

Full Time Student Grants: How Much Educational Maintenance Allowance is Available?

For 2008/09, around 2 out of 3 new full time students are eligible to receive Maintenance Grants of up to £2,835.

Maintenance Grants are income assessed. If you’re classed as an “Independent Student”, the income assessed will be your own, while if you’re a “Dependant Student,” your partner or family’s income will be assessed. If you’re under 25 and are financially dependent on one or both of your parents (whether or not you’re living with them) when you first apply for student financial support, you’ll generally be classed as dependent. You’ll usually be classed as Independent if you’re over 25, have supported yourself for three years or more, are married or in a civil partnership or have a person under the age of 18 in your care.

Full time students with low incomes – with a personal or household income of under £25,000 - are guaranteed the full Educational Maintenance Allowance grant of £2,835. Those with an income between £25,001 and £60,005 will receive a Partial Grant and those with an income in excess of £60,005 are not eligible for a grant. For an income of up to £30,000, you should receive a grant of £2,002; up to £35,450 the grant available is £1,260; up to £40,000 you could receive £998; £50,000 the grant is £524; £60,005 you’ll receive £50.

Full Time Student Grants Information: Other Student Grants Available

Apart from Maintenance Allowance grants, there are several other grants available to eligible students.

Full Time Student Grants Information: Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)

Students with disabilities, mental health conditions and certain learning difficulties could be eligible for a Disabled Student Allowance grant. These are not means tested (not dependant on your income) and do not need to be repaid.

Depending on your disability, you could be eligible for up to £20,000 a year for a non-medical personal helper; up to £5,030 for the duration of the course to cover major items of specialist equipment; plus up to an additional £1,680 a year for other disability related expenditures.

Full Time Student Grants Information: Student Childcare Grant

Full time students with dependent children could get up to £148.75 a week if they have 1 child and up to £255 a week for 2 or more children, depending on their income.

Full Time Student Grants Information: Parents Learning Allowance

This is a student grant available to full time students with dependent children, assessed according to income. This covers help with course related costs and could go up to £1,470 a year.

Full Time Student Grants Information: Adult Dependants Grant

Students who have another adult financially dependent on them could be eligible for an Adult Dependants student grant of up to £2,575, means tested.

Full Time Student Grants Information: The Access to Learning Fund

This is a fund offered by universities and colleges to help students experiencing financial hardship, who may need extra financial support to help them keep studying. This could be in the form of a grant or a loan.

Part Time Students: Student Grants Information for Part Time Students

There are two grants available to part time students – a Fee Grant and a Course Grant.

Student Grants Explained - Information on Student Grants for UK Students

Part Time Student Grants Information: Fee Grants

Fee grants are available to eligible part time students to help pay for tuition fees.

To qualify, your course must last for at least a year; not take mare than twice as long to complete as the full time course; and must be a higher education course leading to a qualification such as a degree or diploma. You won’t qualify if you already have a degree as Part Time Student Grants are not available to postgraduate students.

The amount you’re eligible is dependent on two factors – your income, plus the intensity of the course you’re doing, meaning how long it takes you to complete the course compared to the same course when done full time.

So if your course is up to 59% of the full time course’s intensity, the maximum Fee Grant available is £785; up to 74% of the course’s full time intensity the maximum Fee Grant is £945 and if your course is 75% or more of the full time course’s intensity you could get up to £1,180.

Part Time Student Grants Information: Course Grants

The course grant is available to eligible part time students to assist with study costs like travel and books.

As with Fee Grants, to qualify your course must last for at least a year; not take mare than twice as long to complete as the full time course; and must be a higher education course leading to a qualification such as a degree or diploma. You won’t qualify if you already have a degree as Part Time Student Grants are not available to postgraduate students.

The maximum Course Grant available for 2008/2009 stands at £255 and is not related to the intensity of your course.

You can apply for student loans, grants, and some bursaries online through the Directgov website, Click Here.

Note: Check with your university and/or Local Education Authority for changes in Student Grants

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