Firstly, there are 2 types of loans:

The student loan for tuition fees lets you cover your tuition fee in full ( up to £3145 in 2008/9).No income assessment is required and fees are paid directly to the University or College.

The student loan for maintenance helps with your accommodation and other living costs,depending on your household income and where you are living. You can apply for up to £4625 in 2008/9 (more if you are studying in London). This loan is means tested.

Student loans are subsidised by the Government and are issued on their behalf by the Student Loan Company. The interest you are charged is linked to inflation so that what you repay is broadly the same as the amount you borrowed. At the end of your course, the two loans will be added together and you only begin to pay them back when you earn more than £15,000 p.a. If you stop work your loan is put on hold and 25 years after you have finished your course, any unpaid debt is written off. Payments are collected with income tax and are affordable.

Secondly, there are maintenance grants; about a third of all new students are expected to receive the full amount of maintenance grant (£2,835), while another third will receive a partial grant, depending on household income; you could qualify for a partial grant if your household income is under £60,005. These grants do not have to be repaid and they are paid in instalments straight into your bank account.

If you are a student and have children or other dependants then there are additional sources of funds:

Firstly there is the Parents' Learning Allowance, this is available if you a full time student with dependent children, the amount you receive depends on your income and that of your dependants. The money is paid in 3 instalments at the start of each term and can be paid at the same time as any grants or loans you may receive. You can apply before or during your course: on the main student finance application, complete the section that asks about applications for extra help for students with children.

Secondly there is the Childcare Grant - if you are a student in full time education with dependent children, you may be entitled to this grant, the extra finance - along with Parents' learning allowance -
can help pay for childcare and related costs. Your dependent children must be in registered or approved childcare. 'Registered ' means that the provider is registered with the Office for Standards in Education; 'Approved ' childcare is childcare for children aged between 8 and 14, where the provider has been quality approved by an accredited organisation. Your childcare provider will be able to tell you if they are registered or approved and should be able to provide written evidence of this. The amount of the grant will depend on your income and that of your dependants, it is based on the actual cost of the childcare and covers term time and holidays. For 2008/9 the maximum for one chilld is £148.75 a week and for two or more children it is £255 a week; it is paid in 3 instalments, one at the start of each term.

Thirdly there is the Adult Dependants' Grant, this provides extra non - repayable financial help if you are a full time H.E. student with an adult who depends on you financially. This can include a partner ( including one of the same sex) or other adult - usually a family member - but excluding grown up children. The amount of the grant depends upon your income and that of the dependant and it is paid in 3 instalments at the beginning of each term up to a maximum of £2575 (for 2008/9). Jobcentre Plus and Housing Benefit departments will count any Adult Dependants' Grant when they calulate your entitlement to benefits.

Most full - time students are not entitled to benefits but you may be able to claim if you are:
a lone parent; a student couple with children; a disabled student; a couple where one partner is not a student; studying part-time and on a low income.

Special Support Grant - if you are on an H.E. course and eligible for income related benefits (Income Support/ Housing Benefit), while you are studying you may get a Special Support Grant, but at the same time you will not get a maintenance grant but may apply for a maintenance loan. The Student Support Grant is not counted in working out your benefits. Qualifying students include single parents, other student parents with student partners and students with qualifying disabilities and certain others. The amount you receive depends upon your income, in 2008/9 you will receive the full grant of £2835 if your household income is less than £25,000; and some grant if it is between £25,001 and £60,005 p.a.

The Access to Learning Fund provides extra help if you are in financial hardship and need help for your course or to stay in H.E. It can provide support for : specific course and/or living costs that are not alraedy covered by othe grants (e.g. childcare costs); emergency payments for financial crises; help to stay on your course. Money paid from the fund is on top of the standard student package but you are expected to apply for all loans, grants and bursaries to which you are entitled before asking for help. It is available to full time undergraduates, as well as some part time H.E. students (those on courses that last at least one year and do not take more than twice as long to complete as an equivalent full - time course) and post- graduate students. Priority is given to: full and part time students with children, especially lone parents; students with disabilities ( also see separate section); full time mature students; full time students who have been in care; full time students who are homeless or from 'Foyers' and full time students in their final year. The amount of money depends upon your circumstances and is usually a grant but may be a loan.
You should apply to your Student Support Office or Student Union; Jobcentres etc. will not normally count any income you receive from the Access fund, unless it is for day - to- day living costs.

There are also a range of other organisations who may provide H.E. students with extra help - known as educational trusts or charities,they can provide help on on top of loans, grants, bursaries etc. Hotcourses compile a directory of such funding awards and the Educational Grants Advisory Service offers students, especially those who are disadvantaged, help and guidance as will the Student Advisor at your college or University.

On top of student loans and maintenance grants, your university or college will offer bursaries to a wide range of students. Those paying maximum tuition fees and getting a full maintenance grant are guaranteed to get at least £310 and in practice many will get considerably more - in 2007/8 the average was around £1000 and this is non - repayable. The help offered may be in cash but some offer support in kind such as accommodation, help with books, transport or I.T. equiupment.

If you are training to work in social work, medicine, dentistry or certain areas of healthcare, you may be entitled to a bursary from the General Social Care Council or the NHS, other financial help may also be available especially for the fifth and further years of a medical or dentistry degree. If you study to become a teacher there is a range of financial help available, the type of help will depend on the training route you choose.