Government loans and support
Government loans are available for eligible home fee-paying undergraduate students to cover tuition fees and contribute towards living costs.
Key points
- Loans from the government are available for eligible home fee-paying students to cover tuition fees and contribute towards living costs.
- You don’t have to pay anything upfront and you don’t start repaying your loan until you’re earning more than the repayment threshold.
- There is also additional funding available for some students.
The information on this page relates to the academic year 2025-2026 for Student Finance England.
Students from the devolved nations can find out more information from the websites below:
Wales - Student Finance Wales
Northern Ireland - Student Finance Northern Ireland
Scotland - Student Awards Agency Scotland
On this page:
- Tuition fee loans
- Maintenance loans
- Paying back your loans
- Additional funding
- Students with a year abroad or a year in industry
- Additional information
- Contact us about fees and funding
Tuition fee loans
You can check your tuition fees by using the University’s undergraduate fees lookup tool.
You can find out more information about tuition fees on our web page.
Eligible home fee-paying students can apply for a tuition fee loan from the UK government to cover the cost of their fees. For students from England, the agency is Student Finance England.
Part-time students may be able to get a loan if their course has a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more (‘course intensity’ means how long your course takes to complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course); the majority of part-time undergraduate courses at the University of Sheffield are studied at 50% intensity.
The government website has a full list of eligibility criteria.
Gov.uk - Student finance for undergraduates - Eligibility
The tuition fee loan is not based on household income.
You will need to reapply for a tuition fee loan each year. Your fees may increase by a small amount each year in line with inflation. The government clarifies this each year. However, if there is an increase, you won’t be required to do anything. Your tuition fee loan will automatically increase to reflect any changes. For more information about how to apply for your loan, please refer to the government website.
Gov.uk - Student finance for undergraduates - How to apply
Each year you take out the loan, the government pays the money directly to the University in three instalments. The first instalment is paid after you register with us.
NHS funding may be available if you’re studying to become a doctor or dentist and you’re studying a five or six-year undergraduate course (you can apply from year five).
Maintenance loans
Eligible home fee-paying students can apply for a maintenance loan from the UK government to contribute towards their living costs. For students from England, the agency is Student Finance England.
Part-time students may be able to get a loan if their course has a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more (‘course intensity’ means how long your course takes to complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course); the majority of part-time undergraduate courses at the University of Sheffield are studied at 50% intensity.
The government website has a full list of eligibility criteria.
Gov.uk - Student finance for undergraduates - Eligibility
The amount of maintenance loan that you receive will depend on your household income.
- For most students under the age of 25, this generally means your parents’ income.
- If you’re 25 or over on the first day of your course or are under the age of 25 but do not financially depend on your parents (for example, you are a care leaver or an estranged student), then your household income will not include your parents’ income, though it may include your partner’s income.
For more information about household income, please see the government website.
Gov.uk - Student finance for undergraduates - Household income
The amount you receive also depends on where you are going to university (whether this is in London or not) and whether you will be living at home or away from home. Students aged 60 or over on the first day of their course may receive reduced maintenance support.
The maximum amount available for the academic year 2024-2025 for full-time students studying at a university outside of London and away from home is £10,227 per year.
Following the government announcement that there will be a 3.1% increase to maximum loans for living costs, we expect that the maximum amount available for the academic year 2025-2026 for full-time students studying at a university outside of London and away from home will be £10,544 per year, subject to Parliamentary procedure.
You can use the government’s student finance calculator to estimate what you could receive.
Gov.uk - Student finance calculator
You will need to reapply for a maintenance loan each year. For more information about how to do this, please refer to the government website.
Gov.uk - Student finance for undergraduates - How to apply
Each year you take out the loan, the government pays the money directly to you in three instalments. The first instalment is paid after you register with us.
You will receive slightly less in your final year of study because the Student Loans Company stops paying you after the last day of term.
Gov.uk - Student finance for undergraduates - Continuing full-time students
Paying back your loans
When do I pay back my loans?
Loan repayments will usually commence from the April after course completion at the earliest and only when your income is over the repayment threshold set by the government.
For more information, please refer to the government website.
Gov.uk - Repaying your student loan - When you start repaying
How do I pay back my loans?
Your tuition and maintenance loans are added together so you make one monthly payment.
Your repayments will be taken out of your salary at the same time as tax and National Insurance if you’re an employee. Your payslips will show how much has been deducted. If you're self-employed, you'll pay through HM Revenue and Customs.
For more information, please refer to the government website.
Gov.uk - Repaying your student loan - How to repay
How much will I pay?
How much you repay depends on your income. You’ll repay a percentage of your income over the repayment threshold set by the government. For students from England starting their studies on or after 1 August 2023, the current repayment threshold is £25,000.
Your monthly payments will be calculated as 9% of income above the repayment threshold.
Your repayments are based on what you earn, not what you owe. For example, using the current repayment threshold for students from England who start their studies from August 2023 onwards, if you earn £30,000, you will repay 9% of the £5,000 you earn above the £25,000 threshold (£450.00 per year or £37.50 per month). Further details on repayments can be found on the government website. If your wages drop, this is reflected in your repayments.
Gov.uk - Repaying your student loan
You can choose to make extra repayments towards your student loan. For more information, please refer to the government website.
Gov.uk - Repaying your student loan - Make extra repayments
For students from England starting their studies on or after 1 August 2023, loans are written off 40 years after the April you were first due to repay.
What about interest?
You’re charged interest from the day your first student finance payment is made to you or to your university until your loan has been repaid in full or cancelled. Interest is added to your balance each month.
The interest rate on loans for students from England starting their studies on or after 1 August 2023 will be based on the Retail Price Index (RPI). During some periods, an interest cap may be applied to ensure you’re not being charged a higher interest rate than the average found in the commercial market.
For more information on interest rates for students from England starting their studies on or after 1 August 2023, please refer to the government website.
Gov.uk - How interest is calculated - Plan 5
Additional funding
If you are a student parent, carer, have adult dependants, or have a disability, then you may qualify for extra funding.
As a reminder, the information on this page relates to Student Finance England.
Students from the devolved nations can find out more information from the websites below:
Wales - Student Finance Wales
Northern Ireland - Student Finance Northern Ireland
Scotland - Student Awards Agency Scotland
Support for student parents
Full-time home fee-paying students with children in registered or approved childcare may be eligible to apply for a Childcare Grant to help with these costs.
You may also be eligible for a Parent's Learning Allowance to help with course related costs.
Gov.uk - Parents’ Learning Allowance
Both the grant and the allowance are based on your household income, are paid on top of your other student finance, and you do not have to pay the money back.
Apply as part of your main student finance application.
Support for students with adult dependants
Full-time home fee-paying students with an adult who depends on you financially may be eligible to apply for the Adult Dependants’ Grant.
Gov.uk - Adult Dependants’ Grant
The grant is based on your household income, is paid on top of other student finance, and doesn’t have to be paid back.
Apply as part of your main student finance application.
Support for students with a disability
If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, you can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
This can be on its own or in addition to any student finance you get, though you must at least be eligible to receive student finance.
The type of support and how much you get depends on your individual needs - not your household income. For part-time students, your ‘course intensity’ can affect how much DSA you get (‘course intensity’ means how long your course takes to complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course).
Gov.uk - Disabled Students’ Allowance
Full-time students can apply as part of their main student finance application. Part-time students will need to fill in a form. Find out more information on the government website.
Gov.uk - Disabled Students’ Allowance - How to apply
More information about the support available for disabled students at the University of Sheffield can be found on the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS) web pages.
Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS)
Students with a year abroad or a year in industry
If you are travelling abroad as part of your studies with us, you can find out more information on the Global Opportunities web pages about the support available.
Global Opportunities - Funding and finances
Students who are undertaking a placement year/year in industry can find out more information about funding on our web pages.
Additional information
Guidance about additional funding and how to manage your money can be found on our web pages.
Additional funding for undergraduate study
If you need to discuss your financial situation with someone, you can contact the Student Advice Centre in the Students' Union (both prospective students with an offer and current students).
They have also provided some useful money management information online, available to all.
Student Advice Centre - Money Management
If you are a prospective student and have any other general enquiries, find out more about how you can contact us.