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Financial support

Undertaking a degree course over a number of years involves careful financial planning. During this period prices are likely to rise and you must allow for this when planning your finances. Students' costs comprise tuition fees and living costs.

NB: If you are unsure about your status as a home or overseas student, please contact the Admissions and Recruitment Office for clarification (details at the bottom of this page).

See also: Changes to tuition fees for 2012 entry

Deferred entry applicants
If you are a UK applicant intending to defer entry to September 2012 you will be eligible for the Government’s new Student Support package, which will include Student Loans for both fees and maintenance and a new National Scholarships Programme for students from lower income families. Please note also that you will be required to pay the College’s fees at the new, higher level, of which you will be informed in good time to help your planning. You are advised to keep up-to-date with developments with the Government’s new Financial Support arrangements, including loan figures and information on grants and the new National Scholarships, at: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

Tuition fees for home students - 2011 entry
(including nationals of member states of the European Union)

You can take out a Student Loan for Fees to cover the cost of tuition fees: the money will be paid directly to your university or college by the Student Loan Company.
See www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk for full information on how this works.

You will not have to repay your loan for fees until after you graduate and are earning at least £15,000 per year (unless you want to). Even then, you will repay your fees only at a rate related to your level of earnings: as an example, if you earn £20,000 per year, you would need to repay only £8.65 per week according to current DIUS figures.

The tuition fees for the 2011-12 session are £3,375 per year. This increases every year by approximately two per cent.

For more detailed information please visit our Tuition fees section, where you can see the correct fees with the appropriate codes; you can find the College's bank details; download forms to pay by direct debit; and get instructions to pay online.

Tuition fees - international students

Fees charged to overseas students reflect the full cost of their tuition. Detailed Information on fees, finance and funding is available on our International students pages.

Financial support for home students - 2011 entry

Students who are UK residents should apply as early as possible to determine their eligibility for:

• student loan for tuition fees
• student loan for maintenance
• maintenance grant

You apply for financial support via the following websites:

Students living in England: www.studentfinanceengland.co.uk

Students living in Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

Students living in Scotland: www.student-support-saas.gov.uk

Students living in Northern Ireland: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk

If you are a non-UK national of the European Union you can apply to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) for a loan to pay your tuition fees. The loan for tuition fees is not available to undergraduate students from outside the EU.

For further information about Government funding for students in higher education you may find it helpful to visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

If you would like individual confidential advice about your eligibility for funding, planning your budget or any other financial or practical issue, please contact the Advice and Counselling Service at Queen Mary. You are welcome to use this service if you are considering applying to Queen Mary.

Access to Learning Fund (ALF) - 2011 entry

Each year the government gives the College money to help students in financial hardship. To apply to the ALF you must have taken out your maximum maintenance loan entitlement. You can apply to the ALF for help towards the difference between your income and basic expenses. You can also apply for help if you have a sudden financial emergency or special circumstances or costs that other students might not have. You do not normally have to repay a payment from the ALF. The amounts available to students through the ALF are strictly limited, and the Fund can in no way be regarded as a substitute for other finance.

Maintenance grants - 2011 entry

Maintenance grants are non-repayable and are to help with general study costs. In 2011-12 the maximum maintenance grant is £2,906. The grant is income assessed: in 2011-12 if the household income is £25,000 per year or less, you may be eligible for a full grant. If the household income is between £25,001 and £50,020 you may be eligible for a partial grant.

For more information and to find out if you're eligible, visit the Directgov website.

Living costs - 2011 entry

Depending on lifestyle, living in London away from home for an academic year tends to cost most UK (home) students around £9,500 (please note that it will cost more for a full 52 weeks). But if you budget sensibly, it is possible to live on less. You can reduce your expenditure by returning home for vacations, or you may supplement your income by working. For more detailed information about costs, money saving tips, how to prepare a budget and student financial support see the Advice and Counselling Service website.

Earning while you study

More and more students are taking up part-time work whilst studying and Queen Mary offers a wide range of employment opportunities, from assisting with conferences to working in our bars, cafés and restaurants. Rates of pay are competitive with other local employers and shifts are available to suit student timetables.

London is an exciting, vibrant place with plenty of job opportunities. Our Careers Service can help you seek part-time/casual work through their online vacancy service and regularly updated files and noticeboards. They can also advise on job-hunting techniques and offer feedback on your CV. For an overview of the services they offer visit www.careers.qmul.ac.uk.

Financial support for international students

Several departments offer international scholarship schemes for which international students are eligible. These change from year to year and full details can be found on the International students pages.

Contact
The International Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 3066
email: international-office@qmul.ac.uk

Further information

For more detailed information about the cost of living in London and guidance about what circumstances might reduce or increase the amount of money you need, please see the Advice and Counselling Service website. There is also information on this website to help you check what financial support you are eligible to apply for, and how to plan your budget.

Other useful information can be found at: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance, which provides information on applying for student finance. The booklet A Guide to Financial Support for Higher Education Students can be downloaded from this site, and contains detailed information on fees, loans, grants and other financial matters.

Information explaining the system of UK government student financial support to which you might be entitled is available from your Local Authority and your school.

Notes

1. The level of tuition fees is reviewed annually in the light of changes in costs.
2. If you are in doubt as to whether you will be classed as overseas or home, consult the Admissions and Recruitment Office. Classification is based on government advice, and relates primarily to your country of residence.
3. The tuition fee covers tuition, registration, examinations and membership of the Students' Union. Please note, however, that:
   1. students attending field courses or language courses away from the College will be required to pay part or all of the cost;
   2. examination re-entry fees are charged to students who are not in attendance
4. Students who are not sponsored or only part-sponsored will be required before enrolment either to settle their personal fee liability or to sign a direct debit instruction drawn on a UK bank account which will enable the College to collect their tuition fees in instalments.

Contact us

For clarification on anything you've read here, please contact:
Admissions and Recruitment Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 5511
Freephone: 0800 376 1800
email: admissions@qmul.ac.uk