Where do you live and study?
Living at home entitles you to less financial help, whereas studying in London entitles you to more because the cost of living is higher.
What do you study? What year of study are you in?
Generally the borrowing limit in your final year will be less, as the Loan Company presumes that you won’t need the loan money for the summer as well as for the academic year
How much will your family will contribute?
The length of your course and academic year – if your course is longer than average (i.e. a medical degree) you will tend to be given more money, see money4medstudents.org or support4doctors.org for more information
Are you a disabled student? If you are a disabled student entering university you will be able to claim a disabled student’s allowance. This comprises of three parts:
- basic allowance for general expenditures
- special equipment allowances for major items which may be required
- non-medical personal help
There are so many different scenarios - the best thing to do is to contact the Student Loans Company directly and ask them specific scenarios.
An estimated 10% of the UK is dyslexic. If you are dyslexic you are able to claim "special equipment" such as a laptop, printer, paper costs as well as digital dictaphones and other useful items for study. Many people do not realise they are dyslexic, but given the possibility of being given this useful equipment it is worth investigating if you suspect you may be dyslexic. We would recommend that you talk to your university's student support services about issues concerning dyslexia and other learning difficulties.
