Studying at London for university from 2024 - financial enquiry

Hello, I am currently willing to study at London for university, and I was wondering about the following:
1. How much are the accommodation costs only?
2. Would maintenance loan be enough to pay this off?
3. If I come from a low financial background, and with extenuating circumstances such as bereavement, will this be considered as part of my application for any additional financial support/bursaries. Would this make any difference and help me to pay out any additional costs?
4. Would I get any additional grants/loans on top of the maintenance loan, and if so how much, and would this be enough to live off in London?
5. I’ve heard it’s an very expensive city to study in, but I love the atmosphere there and how busy the city is which attracts me the most, so I would love to study there, however, to live there, can I just fully rely on the loans from the government and university bursaries/grants, or would part time work be ideal for me? How much are you looking around to pay to stay there each year and term?
6. If the university offers their own accommodation would this be ideal for me to live in, and would this make a massive difference in terms of saving my accommodation fees?
7. Any other tips/advice you would heavily recommend me to take in before moving there financially, just to help me out further. (I really prefer this to be answered by any student that lives there currently for uni).

I would highly appreciate anyone who can help me out with my questions. Thank you massively!

Reply 1

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post by PSK.22

1. Accommodation costs vary a lot. Have a look at the accommodation pages of some London uni websites to get an idea of what you would pay in student halls. In second/third years, most students will move into private rentals. In London, this usually means that you have to move away from the centre so you will have to factor in travel costs too.
2. Your maintenance loan needs to cover accommodation and living costs (food, travel, socialising, etc.). This year, the maximum maintenance loan for students studying in London and living away from home is £13,022.
3. Maintenance loan entitlement is based on household income. The lower the income, the more maintenance loan you will receive. There is a calculator that you can try to give you an indication of what you might receive.
4. Most universities have bursary schemes/hardship funds that you can apply to. You need to search uni websites for details and eligibility criteria.
5.6. Most unis publish cost of living information on their websites, so that's a good place to start your research.
7. Read the following article to help you understand student finance:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-england-plan-5/

(edited 4 months ago)