Student Loans
Find out about the government loans available to help you study.
Tuition fee loans
All eligible students from the UK can study without paying up-front by taking out a tuition fee loan.
Eligibility criteria for tuition fee loans includes factors like where you live, the course you choose to study and where you study. It can affect your entitlement if you have any previous higher education study.
The government, via The Student Loans Company, will lend you the money to cover the full cost of your tuition fees for every year of your course. Features of the loan include:
- the government pay the loan directly to your university, not to you
- you only start to pay back the loan when you are earning over *£25,000 p.a. (before tax and other deductions)
- you can apply for a tuition fee loan from your student finance body
*applies to new borrowers starting courses from September 2023
Living cost loans
Students from England can apply for a living cost loan to help pay for living expenses. The amount you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and your household income. If you have any previous higher education study it also affects your entitlement. For information on the support available, including to those students eligible for/in receipt of benefits please contact Student Finance England.
If you're a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find information on living cost loans from your student finance body.
Extra government financial support
Students with adult and/or child dependants or who have a disability may be entitled to extra help in addition to any grants and scholarships available. You do not usually have to pay this money back. A number of sources for extra financial help are available for students at Newcastle University:
Loan repayments
This information on loan repayments applies to students from England. Some information is different for students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Get an idea of what your loan repayments could be using the GOV.UK loan repayment calculator.
Key loan repayment facts
- Repayments are based on what you earn, not what you owe
- Tuition fee and living cost loans repayments are combined
- You will not start to make repayments until you earn over *£25,000 p.a. (before tax and other deductions)
- If your income falls below the repayment threshold, your repayments stop until you start earning above it again
- Any outstanding balance is written off after *40 years
*applies to new borrowers starting courses from September 2023
Find out more about rates of interest and repaying your student loan.
Students from England entering university are eligible to apply for tuition fee loans and for living cost loans from Student Finance England.
You will need to apply for tuition fee loans, living cost loans and grants from your own student finance agency: