Student finance explained | Plymouth Marjon University
Source: http://marjon.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding/student-finance-explained
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:31
Student finance explained | Plymouth Marjon University
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Student finance explained
The two main costs while studying are
tuition fees
and
living costs
and there is student finance available to help students with both of these.
Depending on your circumstances, course and where you study, you may be able to get other financial support too.
How much is available to me?
Loans for full-time students
are available from Student Finance England. You can get a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of your tuition and a maintenance loan to cover living expenses.
The
tuition fee loan
goes up to £9,535 and is not linked to household income.
The
maintenance loan
depends on household income and where you live. The maximum is:
Living with your parents – up to
£8,877 (2025-26 figures)
Living away from home, studying outside London – up to
£10,544 (2025-26 figures)
To get an approximation of how much you might receive check out the
student finance calculator
.
Part-time students
who are studying at least 25% of a full-time course are eligible for a tuition fee loan and part-time maintenance loan.
Eligibility for student finance
If all of the following apply to you then you are eligible:
You’re a UK national or have ‘settled status’
You normally live in England
You’ve been in the UK for 3 years before starting your course
You may also be eligible in other circumstances too, check on the Student Finance England website.
Extra financial help
You may also be eligible for
extra financial help
if you are on a low income.
Students with dependents may be eligible for the following help:
Parents Learning Allowance
(means tested) for eligible full-time students with children.
Childcare Grant
(means tested) for students with dependent children. If you qualify, the Childcare Grant could cover as much as 85 per cent of your childcare costs.
Adult dependants’ Grant
(means tested) for full-time higher education students with an adult who is dependant upon them financially.
Students with a learning disability, health problem or disability may be eligible for
Disabled Students Allowance
(DSA).
What is household income?
Student Finance England (SFE) counts your own taxable income plus any of the following as your household income:
Your parents - if you’re under 25 and live with them or depend on them financially
One of your parents and their partner - if you’re under 25 and live with them or depend on them financially
Your partner - if you’re over 25 and live with them
You’ll typically need a P60 or tax return for the previous year, so pre-warn your parent(s) or partner as it can take some time to find them.
If you are under 25 and had no contact with your parents for over a year, you might be able to apply as an ‘estranged student’.
How do I receive the money?
The tuition fee loan is paid direct to your university by SFE. You do not see this money at all, it does not get paid in to your account. The maintenance loan is paid termly; three payments per academic year in September, January and April.
You will need to complete an application for finance, every year during your degree.
You do not need a confirmed place at university to apply for student finance. You’ll be able to
apply online for student finance
from Febuary/March for funding to start at university in September of that year. It can take 6-10 weeks to hear the outcome of your student finance application.
University Bursaries and Scholarships
You may be able to get extra financial support in the form of bursaries and scholarships. This varies between universities. These do not have to be repaid and are in addition to your loans.
Marjon offers:
Care Leaver and Estranged Student Bursaries
University Hardship Fund – for students who encounter unexpected financial emergencies
Some support for travel and accommodation on placement
Elite Sports Scholarships
Repaying your loan
You only start to pay back your loans once you are earning a specified amount and after you have left university.
You won’t have to repay anything until you’re earning over a certain amount, which is currently £25,000 a year
Your repayments are linked to your income, not what you owe
If you earn less than £25,000 a year, you won’t have to repay anything
You’ll repay 9% of your income over £25,000, and deductions will be made from your pay through the HMRC tax system
Repayments will start the April after you graduate, at the earliest
Any outstanding loan balance will be written off 40 years after entering repayment
This is called a loan, but there is no obligation to pay it back if you are earning below the repayment threshold.
More info on Student Finance
Find out how the application process works and what you need to do to apply
here
. To make sure your first payment is ready at the start of term act now - don't wait until you've been offered a place on a course.
The fastest and easiest way to apply for student finance is to
apply online
. Your parents or partner may need to supply financial information to support your application. If you apply online, they can supply their information online too.
If you have have undertaken any previous HE study please contact our Student Funding Adviser for advice regarding remaining funding eligibility:
studentfunding@marjon.ac.uk
For extra information and advice follow the links for details:
Help with student finance online services
Eligibility for student finance
Skip to main content
Accessibility information
Dark background
Light background
Text only mode
Student finance explained
The two main costs while studying are
tuition fees
and
living costs
and there is student finance available to help students with both of these.
Depending on your circumstances, course and where you study, you may be able to get other financial support too.
How much is available to me?
Loans for full-time students
are available from Student Finance England. You can get a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of your tuition and a maintenance loan to cover living expenses.
The
tuition fee loan
goes up to £9,535 and is not linked to household income.
The
maintenance loan
depends on household income and where you live. The maximum is:
Living with your parents – up to
£8,877 (2025-26 figures)
Living away from home, studying outside London – up to
£10,544 (2025-26 figures)
To get an approximation of how much you might receive check out the
student finance calculator
.
Part-time students
who are studying at least 25% of a full-time course are eligible for a tuition fee loan and part-time maintenance loan.
Eligibility for student finance
If all of the following apply to you then you are eligible:
You’re a UK national or have ‘settled status’
You normally live in England
You’ve been in the UK for 3 years before starting your course
You may also be eligible in other circumstances too, check on the Student Finance England website.
Extra financial help
You may also be eligible for
extra financial help
if you are on a low income.
Students with dependents may be eligible for the following help:
Parents Learning Allowance
(means tested) for eligible full-time students with children.
Childcare Grant
(means tested) for students with dependent children. If you qualify, the Childcare Grant could cover as much as 85 per cent of your childcare costs.
Adult dependants’ Grant
(means tested) for full-time higher education students with an adult who is dependant upon them financially.
Students with a learning disability, health problem or disability may be eligible for
Disabled Students Allowance
(DSA).
What is household income?
Student Finance England (SFE) counts your own taxable income plus any of the following as your household income:
Your parents - if you’re under 25 and live with them or depend on them financially
One of your parents and their partner - if you’re under 25 and live with them or depend on them financially
Your partner - if you’re over 25 and live with them
You’ll typically need a P60 or tax return for the previous year, so pre-warn your parent(s) or partner as it can take some time to find them.
If you are under 25 and had no contact with your parents for over a year, you might be able to apply as an ‘estranged student’.
How do I receive the money?
The tuition fee loan is paid direct to your university by SFE. You do not see this money at all, it does not get paid in to your account. The maintenance loan is paid termly; three payments per academic year in September, January and April.
You will need to complete an application for finance, every year during your degree.
You do not need a confirmed place at university to apply for student finance. You’ll be able to
apply online for student finance
from Febuary/March for funding to start at university in September of that year. It can take 6-10 weeks to hear the outcome of your student finance application.
University Bursaries and Scholarships
You may be able to get extra financial support in the form of bursaries and scholarships. This varies between universities. These do not have to be repaid and are in addition to your loans.
Marjon offers:
Care Leaver and Estranged Student Bursaries
University Hardship Fund – for students who encounter unexpected financial emergencies
Some support for travel and accommodation on placement
Elite Sports Scholarships
Repaying your loan
You only start to pay back your loans once you are earning a specified amount and after you have left university.
You won’t have to repay anything until you’re earning over a certain amount, which is currently £25,000 a year
Your repayments are linked to your income, not what you owe
If you earn less than £25,000 a year, you won’t have to repay anything
You’ll repay 9% of your income over £25,000, and deductions will be made from your pay through the HMRC tax system
Repayments will start the April after you graduate, at the earliest
Any outstanding loan balance will be written off 40 years after entering repayment
This is called a loan, but there is no obligation to pay it back if you are earning below the repayment threshold.
More info on Student Finance
Find out how the application process works and what you need to do to apply
here
. To make sure your first payment is ready at the start of term act now - don't wait until you've been offered a place on a course.
The fastest and easiest way to apply for student finance is to
apply online
. Your parents or partner may need to supply financial information to support your application. If you apply online, they can supply their information online too.
If you have have undertaken any previous HE study please contact our Student Funding Adviser for advice regarding remaining funding eligibility:
studentfunding@marjon.ac.uk
For extra information and advice follow the links for details:
Help with student finance online services
Eligibility for student finance