Financial Support for Degree-level | B&FC Financial Support for Degree-level Loans, Bursaries, Scholarships, Childcare allowance - financing your degree-level course could be easier than you think. Apply for Support Student Loans We understand that some people are understandably worried about getting a loan. But a student loan is different from other forms of finance because, unlike other loans, it's what you earn that dictates what you repay, not what you've borrowed. You only make repayments when you're earning £25K a year or more . Any less and your repayments stop automatically so if you lose your job, for example, you won't have to worry about meeting your student loan repayments even if you've been paying them for the previous five years. It won't ever affect your credit rating or stop you accessing other forms of finance. In fact, it's more like an investment in your future earning potential where the dividends will always outstrip the amount you have to repay. For an independent view on student finance, we recommend watching Martin Lewis's Student Loans Decoded featured below. Tuition fee loan Student loans are available to cover the full cost of your tuition fees. You don’t have to pay anything upfront[1] and there’s nothing to pay back until you’re qualified and earning at least £25,000 a year before tax[3]. Maintenance loan If you’re studying a full-time course you can apply for a maintenance loan to help with living costs. Maintenance loans depend on your household income. These are the maximum amounts you can apply for to study at B&FC for the 2026/27 academic year. Under 25 and living with parents/guardians? You can get a maintenance loan up to £9,118 Over 25 or living away from home? You could get up to the maximum maintenance loan of £10,830 Student Finance Calculator Get a quick estimate of what student loans, grants, bursaries and other funding you could get with the Government's Student Finance Calculator. Find out what funding you could get Nothing to repay until you’re earning £25,000 a year The great thing about both tuition fee and maintenance loans is that you don’t need to pay anything back until you’re earning at least £25,000 a year. The table below gives you an idea of what your monthly repayments could be: Annual salary Gross monthly salary Monthly repayment amount How it translates £25,000 £2,083 £0 £27,000 £2,250 £15 About the same price as a weekly Starbucks £30,000 £2,500 £35 The average cost of a takeaway for two £33,000 £2,750 £60 Equal to two advanced day passes for Alton Towers £35,000 £2,916 £75 A premium TV entertainment and broadband package There are different repayment plans depending on when you started your degree course and whether it was at undergraduate or postgraduate level. If you are not sure which plan applies to you, or if you want to access further details about your repayments especially if you have more than one plan, you can find out more on GOV.UK Learning Support We offer a range of learning support services to help you get the most from your studies and realise your career goals. View available Learning Support Government Support for 2026/27 For parents If you’re a parent studying a full-time degree-level course you could access the Parents’ Learning Allowance , worth up to £2,024 a year[1]. The allowance is dependent on your household income and usually paid in three instalments. There is also the Childcare Grant , which covers up to 85% of your childcare costs - up to £199.62 a week for 1 child and up to £342.24 a week for 2 or more children. For those supporting an adult partner or relative For full-time degree-level students who support an adult dependant, the Adult Dependants’ Grant could give you up to £3,545 additional funding each year[1]. An adult dependant is usually your husband, wife, partner or civil partner, but could also be a relative, such as a parent or grandparent. It cannot be an adult child. If you’re under 25, the adult dependant cannot be your partner unless you’re married or in a civil partnership. Members of the Armed Forces If you’re a member of the Armed Forces you may be eligible to claim funding for your course through the MoD’s Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELS). If you have a disability Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is available for any student with a learning difficulty, health problem or disability. This is in addition to any other finance you claim. The amount you receive isn’t income based: it’s based on your individual needs and intended to cover any extra study-related costs you incur due to your health condition. The allowance is worth up to £27,783 per year. Fore more information, visit our dedicated Disabled Student's Allowance (DSA) page. Council Tax discount Depending on your individual circumstances you may also be exempted from paying Council Tax or entitled to a Council Tax discount of 25%. This could represent a saving of £398.70 (25% of Blackpool Council valuation band A of £1594.81) based on two adults living together, one of whom is a student. For more information and to check your eligibility, please visit gov.uk/council-tax. Disabled Student's Allowance (DSA) DSA is available to Degree-level students to help cover the study-related costs you have due to a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability. More on Disabled Student's Allowance Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) The UK Government is introducing a new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will change how student finance works for many higher-level courses in England. From January 2027, eligible learners will be able to access a loan entitlement that can be used flexibly over their lifetime to study approved Level 4–6 qualifications, including degrees, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQ) and some individual modules. If you are starting your course before January 2027, you will continue to apply for student finance under the current funding system and are not affected by these changes. If you are planning to start a course from January 2027 onwards, student finance arrangements may differ. Further information about eligibility, available courses and how to apply will be published by Student Finance England ahead of applications opening in September 2026. You can find the latest official information on the Lifelong Learning Entitlement on the GOV.UK website Information about Bursaries, Scholarships & Awards from 2025/26 - 2028/29 Bursaries, scholarships and awards from September 2025 onwards are subject to confirmation by Office for Students. B&FC’s Career & Skills Development Fund 2025/26 (worth £250) This fund is designed to support you to develop your employability skills and pursue your career goals. This is a means-tested non repayable bursary that you can apply for a one-off payment to the value of £250 to support career enhancing opportunities during any year of your HE study. Eligibility will be assessed using your household income which must be less than £35,000 per year. B&FC’s HE Equipment Fund 2025/26 (worth £300) This fund is designed to help you on your initial set up for your HE course, by supporting you with the costs of equipment associated with your study e.g. PC/laptop, books, software, internet at home, etc. It is a means-tested non-repayable bursary of £300 awarded as one payment in your first term of higher education study (levels 4-6). Eligibility will be assessed using your household income which must be less than £35,000 per year. B&FC’s HE Equipment Plus Fund 2025/26 (worth £200) This fund is designed to help you with the continuing costs of equipment associated with your higher education study, e.g. stationery, books, software, internet at home, etc. It is a means-tested non-repayable bursary of £200, awarded during second and third year of HE study (levels 5-6). Eligibility will be assessed using your household income which must be less than £35,000 per year. B&FC Cares Scholarship 2025/26 (worth up to £3000 over 3 years) This non-repayable scholarship is open to all students, apprentices (apprentices under the age of 25 must apply for the government Apprenticeship Care Leaver Bursary) and sponsored students. If you are a care leaver, carer or estranged student (student or apprentice without the support of a family network) you may be eligible for this scholarship. You will be asked to provide evidence of your status in support of your B&FC Cares Scholarship application. If eligible, you could receive £1,000 for each year you study, for up to three years. If you are studying part-time this will be paid pro rata. B&FC’s DSA Student Contribution Award 2025/26 (worth £200) The Government’s Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) is intended to help you pay for extra costs related to your disability, learning difference, mental health conditions and/or health conditions which may impact on your studies for the duration of your course. If you successfully complete the DSA application and assessment process, you could receive B&FC’s DSA Student Contribution Award of £200. Educational Psychology Assessment Fund 2025/26 (worth £300+) B&FC will fully fund the cost of your Educational Psychologist (EP) Assessment whilst studying higher education at B&FC. The resulting Educational Psychologist Report plays a crucial role in supporting students with disabilities by providing a comprehensive assessment of their strengths and challenges and can recommend strategies to support their learning in the HE environment. Eligibility will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. B&FC’s HE Support Fund 2025/26 Blackpool and The Fylde College offers discretionary financial support for students who are experiencing financial difficulty and are unable to meet basic or unexpected additional costs from other sources of support. The fund can also offer support to students who have experienced a change in financial circumstances due to unforeseen events. Each situation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and financial support is awarded based on a full review of an individual’s financial circumstances. What's Next? Within 3 working days you will receive a letter via your college email stating whether your application on Pay My Student has been successful and what financial support you are entitled to. The time taken to process applications may be longer during busy periods. Need advice about what to apply for? Contact our friendly and professional HE Student Finance Team. Call: 01253 504177 Option 1 Email: financesupport@blackpool.ac.uk In person - Please visit the reception at the campus of your study and you will be directed to the appropriate team. Need Help with Pay My Student? Visit our PayMyStudent page for web-based guides and 'How to' videos. Don't hesitate to get in touch, one of our friendly advisers will be happy to help. Call: 01253 504425 Email: financesupport@blackpool.ac.uk Please note: You will be unable to apply for a bursary via PayMyStudent until 24 hours after you have enrolled onto a course. If you need help in person: During the enrolment period at Bispham Campus (August / September) please go to the Finance Support glass pod in reception. If you study at Bispham Campus or the University Centre, come and find the Finance Support Team in Reception. Please note: Funding is restricted, based on need and eligibility, and cannot be guaranteed. This information is updated regularly but we cannot guarantee that the detail will remain accurate, as Government policy often requires changes to how we operate. Terms and Conditions can be viewed on our Higher Education - Terms and Conditions page. Read our Higher Education Tuition Fee Policy 2025-26 for more information. Student Support, Wellbeing & Inclusion At B&FC we offer a comprehensive range of support services aimed at helping you reach your full potential. Explore full range of Support Services International Students EU/EEA Citizens If you are an EU/EEA citizen you will need to bring evidence of your settled / pre-settled status with you to enrol. At enrolment you can provide us with your share code or evidence of the outcome of your application for the EU Settlement Scheme Non EU/EAA Citizens You will need to bring your passport and current visa with you when you enrol. Full details of fees and payment information for international students can be found in our International Student Fees Policy 2024-25 Other Support FREE breakfast As a B&FC student, you’re entitled to a FREE healthy breakfast every morning while you’re at College. Supplement your income A part-time job could help you to supplement your income. Once you’ve enrolled you can check local vacancies via our online Job Shop. We’re happy to advise you about how to find a suitable position, whether that’s to help make ends meet during your studies or when you’re graduating and ready to start or move forward in your career. Disclaimer: Tuition fees may be subject to increases in subsequent years of your course. [1] Eligibility applies – visit GOV.UK for more information. [2] Please note: our course fees are subject to changes in government information and we reserve the right to update our fees accordingly. [3] Applies to English and Welsh students only - for full terms and conditions about repaying your student loan, visit GOV.UK International Students If you're an International Student, your course fees, along with your examination and examination registration fees, are payable in full before the start date of your course. More for International Students Save the Date At every B&FC Open Event, our Financial Support advisers will be able to discuss your options and all the available support you can expect throughout your learning journey. Register for an Open Event If you have any questions or concerns regarding your financial support application, please get in touch. Our friendly advisers are here to help. Please visit the reception at the campus of your study and you will be directed to the appropriate team, otherwise contact us by: Call: 01253 504177 Option 1 Email: financesupport@blackpool.ac.uk Scroll to Top Go to Financial Support Go to Degree-level Go to Admissions Chat