Student Loans > Why do we pay student tuition fees

Ever since good ol' Tony Blair introduced the new fees and scrapped the maintenance grants, the prospect of going to uni has never been the same… you guys have the extra weight on your shoulders of mounding studying costs… but does it have to be that way?

In Scotland, students dont have to pay tuition fees, as the tuition fees are paid for.

However, now the government is thinking of bring up top up fees, things seem to be going from bad to worse.

Here we've got a handful of tips and routes through which you maybe able to acquire additional funding to get you through the next 3-4 years… so then, here we go…

Tuition fee support: you're parents (or spouse if you're hitched already) will be individually accessed to find out how much of your year fee's your eligible to pay… if they don't earn enough and they're below the threshold, they'll be paid by your local LEA (Local Education Authority).

Student loans: These aren't like any other loan you'll be offered in your life… these extra low interest rate loans are the governments solution to the scraped maintenance, and are usually the best (sometimes only) option to help fund you through the academic year… you don't start paying them back until the April after you graduate, but be prepared for the balance sheet that will drop through your letter box at the end of your study!

Hardship loans: If you get through your usual instalments of your student loan, each uni has access to a pot of money for when you get really hard up! If you have bills you can't pay, and can prove this through your bank statements, usually with your outgoings exceeding your income… normally you're entitled to a maximum of £500.

Additional information

The Student Loans company (www.slc.co.uk)
DfEE leaflet for financial support (Tel: 0800 731 9133)