The Student Room Group

Universal Credit and self funding uni!

Hi. So I'm in abit of a dilemma. I've had the dreaded letter to say I have to switch from Tax Credits to Universal Credit. Tax Credits don't look at student income but Universal Credit does.
However, I'm a self funding student so use my maintenance loan to pay my tuition fees.
Does anyone know how Universal Credit take this into account? Do they disregard the amount I pay for tuition fees or do they take the whole maintenance loan into account?
Depending on how they do it I may have to quit uni as there's no way I can afford to lose £1000 a month! Thanks!
Original post by Michel69
Hi. So I'm in abit of a dilemma. I've had the dreaded letter to say I have to switch from Tax Credits to Universal Credit. Tax Credits don't look at student income but Universal Credit does.
However, I'm a self funding student so use my maintenance loan to pay my tuition fees.
Does anyone know how Universal Credit take this into account? Do they disregard the amount I pay for tuition fees or do they take the whole maintenance loan into account?
Depending on how they do it I may have to quit uni as there's no way I can afford to lose £1000 a month! Thanks!


The following website offers some advice for students regarding entitlement:


https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Your-Situation/Studying-age-16


You might also be eligible for a scholarship or help from a hardship fund at your uni:

https://www.gov.uk/extra-money-pay-u...hardship-funds


Could you also apply for a tuition fee loan?
Reply 2
Hi. I’ve had student loans before when I was studying nursing so that has wiped out my 4 years allowance for the tuition fee loan. However, if I was wanting to do it the other way round and go from science to nursing I’d be eligible for the tuition fee loan. It’s just the way it works unfortunately. Thanks for your help.
Reply 3
Original post by Michel69
Hi. So I'm in abit of a dilemma. I've had the dreaded letter to say I have to switch from Tax Credits to Universal Credit. Tax Credits don't look at student income but Universal Credit does.
However, I'm a self funding student so use my maintenance loan to pay my tuition fees.
Does anyone know how Universal Credit take this into account? Do they disregard the amount I pay for tuition fees or do they take the whole maintenance loan into account?
Depending on how they do it I may have to quit uni as there's no way I can afford to lose £1000 a month! Thanks!

Hi love..I’m in the same position as you..did you get any information?..
Reply 4
I want to know what happened to you too. Because I’m in similar situation. Just lost my job and I’ve applied for a undergrad degree but I only get maintenance loan for the first year but no tuition fee, or so what sfe has told me anyway
Original post by Evelyn34
I want to know what happened to you too. Because I’m in similar situation. Just lost my job and I’ve applied for a undergrad degree but I only get maintenance loan for the first year but no tuition fee, or so what sfe has told me anyway


Have you studied at uni before? And what course are you applying for now?
Reply 6
Original post by normaw
Have you studied at uni before? And what course are you applying for now?

I did but I dropped out mid year 3 for personal reasons so I know sfe has said they’d give me 1 extra year full funding which means if I do 3 year undergrad I’d get funding for year 2 and year 3 but I’d have to self fund the tuition fee for year 1 but I’d get maintenance loan for year 1.

But I’m not sure how that’d work with payments. I’m waiting for the university’s to get back to me on payments. But having looked on the universities website it says the payments are 50% before enrollment or I can request to have it paid in installments over 7 months which I’m not sure that’d work for me I don’t have a lot of savings due to me losing my job and what savings I got are covering rent/bills.

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