Free 6th Formers' Guide Student Finance 2012 - how it works

Next year's uni starters are guinea pigs for the biggest changes to student loans and fees for years. With headlines screaming about graduates lumbered with £50,000 debt, many 6th formers would be forgiven for being scared. Yet this new free "you can afford to go to university" school leavers' booklet is here to bust the myths.

The guide is produced by the Independent Student Finance Taskforce (which is headed by Martin Lewis) and is crucial reading for anyone considering going to uni in 2012.

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.
Also see the eBook version.

For more info on the changes,
see the full guide:
Student loans 2012
Also see: Student Checklist | Student Accounts | Repay my student loan?

What's in the booklet

1. Introduction

No flannel, you’re guinea pigs for a new and different system of paying for university. Worse still, these changes are massively misunderstood, not just by young people but by many parents, teachers and right across society.

2. Before you go to university

Whether to go to university or not will be one of the biggest decisions of your life. And like all big decisions, it can seem pretty scary. You need to think about where to go, what to study – and if you can afford it.

3. While you're at university

Of course paying for the fees isn’t everything. As well as finding innovative ways to cook baked beans – and whatever you’re there to study – managing your money is one of the most important things you’ll learn at university, especially if you don’t want to eat those beans EVERY night of the week.

4. After university

This a long time away, but it’s worth understanding now. Once you’ve graduated (or even if you dropped out) you may worry that you’ve got an enormous debt hanging over you. But don’t panic! You don’t have to repay a penny until you get a job and are earning more than £21,000 a year.

5. Q&As

Key questions answered include: 'How does means testing work?', 'Will the student loan go on my credit file?' and 'If we've got the money, should we simply pay and not take the loan?'

6. Further reading

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