Funding for home and EU students
Student Finance England (SFE) provides government-backed loans to help eligible Home students pay their tuition fees and living costs.
You must apply for student finance each academic year to ensure your fees can be confirmed.
Loans available
A Tuition Fee Loan helps you pay the cost of your tuition.
- Covers the full annual tuition fee.
- Paid directly to Regent College London.
- You do not pay tuition fees upfront if your loan is approved.
You must apply for a Tuition Fee Loan each academic year.
A Maintenance Loan helps with living costs, such as accommodation, food, and travel.
This is paid directly to you, and the amount you receive depends on:
- Household income.
- Where you live while studying.
- Your personal circumstances.
You can apply for a Maintenance Loan at the same time as your Tuition Fee Loan.
If you are studying an eligible postgraduate course, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Loan.
- Paid directly to you.
- Can be used towards tuition fees and living costs.
- The loan amount and eligibility criteria are set by Student Finance England.
Postgraduate Loans are separate from undergraduate loans and have different rules.
Depending on your circumstances, you may also be eligible for additional statutory funding, including:
- Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) – non-repayable support for disability-related study costs.
- Funding from other UK student finance bodies (e.g. Student Finance Wales, SAAS, or Student Finance Northern Ireland), if applicable.
These forms of funding have separate eligibility criteria and application processes.
Applying for loans
Apply for student finance through the funding body for where you normally live. Visit the government website to check your eligibility to get an undergraduate student loan.
To avoid delays, you should:
- Apply online as early as possible
- Apply for the correct academic year
- Use the same personal details you provided to the College
- Clearly label any documents with your Customer Reference Number
- Upload documents online rather than sending them by post
- Use online account tracking to check your application status
- Late or incomplete applications may delay confirmation of your funding.
Repaying loans and interest
Student loans are not repaid like commercial loans.
- You only start repaying after you finish your course and earn above the government repayment threshold.
- Repayments are taken automatically through the tax system.
- Interest is added to your loan balance in line with government regulations.
- Any remaining balance may be written off after a set period, depending on your loan plan.
Repayment terms are set by the UK Government and may change – see more on repaying your student loan for full details.
Need more help?
Contact the Student Finance team at studentfinance@rcl.ac.uk for assistance.
