The Student Room Group

How does student loan works?

I think this question has been asked here million times, but I could not find the answer.

So the questions are:
1) Do you get student loan when you are already started to study in university or you can apply for it before?

2) As the rules says you have to start paying it off after you graduate and earn 20k a year... so what happens if you don't earn that much?

3) Do you have to apply for it every year and does they pay to your university directly or to your bank acc?

4) Witch would be the best bank for this?

5) And does it makes it harder if you are foreigner?

As I am just arrived in London I don't really have any clue of all this.. so thank you very much for your time.
Reply 1
Original post by Draatmans
I think this question has been asked here million times, but I could not find the answer.

So the questions are:
1) Do you get student loan when you are already started to study in university or you can apply for it before?


You apply before it.

2) As the rules says you have to start paying it off after you graduate and earn 20k a year... so what happens if you don't earn that much?


You don't pay it off, after a set number of years (30 I think) the debt is written off.


3) Do you have to apply for it every year and does they pay to your university directly or to your bank acc?


You apply for it every year. Tuition loans are paid to your university and your maintenance loan is paid directly to your bank account each month.
Reply 2
Original post by Delaney
You apply before it.



You don't pay it off, after a set number of years (30 I think) the debt is written off.



You apply for it every year. Tuition loans are paid to your university and your maintenance loan is paid directly to your bank account each month.


Short and useful. :smile: Thank you very much
If you are not an EU national and have not been here 3 years you won't get any loans at all.
If you are an EU national you won't get a maintenance loan, only a tuition fee loan.
Original post by Draatmans
I think this question has been asked here million times, but I could not find the answer.

So the questions are:
1) Do you get student loan when you are already started to study in university or you can apply for it before?

2) As the rules says you have to start paying it off after you graduate and earn 20k a year... so what happens if you don't earn that much?

3) Do you have to apply for it every year and does they pay to your university directly or to your bank acc?

4) Witch would be the best bank for this?

5) And does it makes it harder if you are foreigner?

As I am just arrived in London I don't really have any clue of all this.. so thank you very much for your time.



1) you have to apply for the loan before.
2) If you dont earn that much then you dont pay it back.
3) You only have to apply once before you start(i think). The tuation fees get payed directly to the uni so you dont see it or anything.
4) The best bank depends, look around for the best one that suits you.
5) I dont think its harder if you are a foreigner, but i may be wrong.
Hope this helps.
Reply 5
:smile: The above posts are correct :smile:
Reply 6
Thank you everyone for information :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Draatmans
I think this question has been asked here million times, but I could not find the answer.

So the questions are:
1) Do you get student loan when you are already started to study in university or you can apply for it before?

2) As the rules says you have to start paying it off after you graduate and earn 20k a year... so what happens if you don't earn that much?

3) Do you have to apply for it every year and does they pay to your university directly or to your bank acc?

4) Witch would be the best bank for this?

5) And does it makes it harder if you are foreigner?

As I am just arrived in London I don't really have any clue of all this.. so thank you very much for your time.


If you are an EU student then the university will pay tuition fee loans only. You don't see the money- it goes straight to the university. You won't recieve a maintainance loan- you will have to fund all living costs yourself.

You can apply online from the January of the year you start uni online.

The threshold for repayment is currently £15,000.

If you are from outside of the EU, then as has already been said you won't recieve any financial help and will have to pay international fees.
Reply 8
Original post by Emma:-)
1) you have to apply for the loan before.
2) If you dont earn that much then you dont pay it back.
3) You only have to apply once before you start(i think). The tuation fees get payed directly to the uni so you dont see it or anything.
4) The best bank depends, look around for the best one that suits you.
5) I dont think its harder if you are a foreigner, but i may be wrong.
Hope this helps.


Someones not going to get their money on time. You have to apply 6-9 months before you start uni to recieve any money.
Reply 9
You can start applying for loans n early 2011. You can do it online don't try to do it now as the application up there is for this year's loan. You're looking for 2011/2012 so wait and check in january.
Original post by jelly1000
Someones not going to get their money on time. You have to apply 6-9 months before you start uni to recieve any money.


Im not even going uni- so i dont think ill be late getting my money somehow.

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