Free Part-Time Student Guide Student Finance 2013 - how it works

Part-timers make up 40% of students, but amid the debate over full-time fees, huge changes for this group have been missed. Though their fees have also trebled, part-time students can now get loans for the first time. This guide's got the need-to-knows for students in England...

It's produced by the Independent Student Finance Taskforce (which is headed by Martin Lewis) and is crucial reading for anyone considering going to uni part-time in England in 2013.

Teachers / Parents / Universities:
Feel free to print and distribute this guide and find out how to embed this and other resources on your own websites. If you're printing it, use the black and white version for best results. Also see the free teachers' uni fees booklet.

For more info on the changes,
see the full guide:
Student loans 2013
Also see: Student Checklist | Student Accounts | Repay my student loan?

To find out how much it will cost, use our
FREE Part-Time Student Finance Calculator

What's in the booklet

1. Introduction

If you only read the headlines, you’d think all students were 18-years-old, leaving home, drinking beer and doing full-time degrees. Yet 40% of those who go into higher education are studying part-time, aged 18 to over 100. I suspect there’s a huge variety in the choice of tipple too.

2. The basic facts

Student loans are a bizarre contradiction. Everyone talks about the price tag – yet the repayment system and interest charges mean that the figures bear little resemblance to the actual amount you will repay.

3. What funding is available?

There is a range of financial support out there for those who want to go into higher education. This falls into two main categories – Government support and money that comes direct from universities and colleges.

4. How repayments work

Of course while getting a loan is great, it's not a grant. So once you’re earning enough, you will need to repay it. But student loans are very different to other loans. They’re a unique hybrid, somewhere between a loan and taxation – so it’s important to understand exactly how the repayments work so you can think about their impact.

5. How much will it actually cost me?

This is the crucial question and one of the many fears that put people off going to university – the ‘how will I afford to live with this debt?’ question. You can also use the Part-Time Student Finance Calculator.

6. Q&A

Key questions answered include 'Is university worth the cost?', 'What if I have a child?', 'Do I qualify for benefits?', as well as the issues around living and/or studying in Wales, Scotland and/or Northern Ireland.

7. Further reading

A list of key contacts to help with all aspects of student finance.