Please note the below information is correct for 2024

Who is this information for? 

This information is aimed at home fee students who are applying through Student Finance England (SFE). 

If you are applying through Student Finance Wales, Student Finance Northern Ireland or Students Awards Agency Scotland please go to “useful resources” to access their websites.

What types of finance are available? 

Tuition fee loan 

There are two main types of student finance you can apply for:  

This covers the tuition fee that is charged by a university.  For Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) this is currently £9,250 for each year of an undergraduate degree. 

You will receive funding from SFE to cover this and your household income isn’t taken into account.  This part of the loan will be paid directly to SHU.   

Maintenance loan

This loan is to pay for your living costs while you are studying.  It is ‘means-tested’ which means it is based on individual circumstances and considers: 

  • Your household income – this is your parents’ income (if you are aged under 25) or your partner’s income, plus yours. There are some circumstances where household income would not be looked at – see the independent student section below. 
  • Where you are going to live at university – either at home or away from home 
  • Whether you will be living inside or outside of London 

Want an estimate of how much maintenance loan you might get? Use Student Finance England’s calculator 

Depending on your individual circumstances and the type of course you are studying you may also be eligible for extra funding (see the Student Finance England Grants and NHS Funding Support page). 

How to apply for student finance 

To get student finance you need to fill in an online application which can be found here. It’s quick and easy to apply –  it should take less than 30 minutes.

It is important that you apply for student finance before 17 May 2024 to make sure you get it in time for when you start your degree. 

You don’t need a confirmed place at uni or college to apply for student finance, so don’t wait for UCAS offers, apply now. Simply apply using your preferred choice and you can change your uni, college or course details when you get your results. If you decide not to go to uni or college this year, you can cancel your application online if you make that decision.

Please be aware that you won’t get your first payment until after you have enrolled on your course. We would recommend having some finances available to cover you until you receive your first payment. 

Independent students 

You will be classed as an independent student and your parents’ income will not be taken into account if: 

  • you care for a person under the age of 18 on the first day of the academic year you are applying for student finance 
  • you are 25 or over on the first day of the academic year you’re applying for student finance 
  • you have been married or in a civil partnership before the start of the academic year (even if you’re now divorced or separated) 
  • you have no living parents 
  • you have supported yourself for at least three years before the start of your course 
  • your parents cannot be traced, or it’s not practical or possible to contact them 
  • your parents live outside the EU and an income assessment would put them in jeopardy, or it is not reasonably practical for them to send funds to the UK to help support you 
  • you have not communicated with your parents for one year before the start of the academic year that you are applying for student finance, or you can demonstrate you’re permanently estranged from your parents 
  • you have been in care for any three-month period ending on or after the date you turned 16, and before the first day of the first academic year of your course 

You can read more specific advice in the care leavers and estranged students page 

Repaying your student finance loan 

You will start repaying your student loan in the April after you have finished your course, and only once you have started earning over a certain amount, which depends on which repayment plan you’re on. For students starting in September 2024, you will be on Plan 5.

Your repayments will be taken out of your monthly salary in the same way as national insurance and income tax. You can find more information about repayment here – https://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay

For students on Plan 5, the government will write off any unpaid balance 40 years after the first April after you have finished your course. 

The most up to date figures can be found on Student Finance England’s website. 

Useful resources 

You may also find the following websites useful (Please note Sheffield Hallam University is not responsible for the content of external websites): 

Need Help? 

For general queries you can contact the SHU Progress team, Monday to Friday, on 0114 2254777 or email us at SHU-Progress@shu.ac.uk 

For general SFE enquiries you can contact SFE by calling 0300 100 0607 

Applying for student finance can differ based on your individual circumstances. Please check out one of the following advice pages: