Free Part-Time Student Guide

Changes to student finance: Part-time students

Created in February 2012 by the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information , see www.studentfinance2012.com

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 around a third of those who go into higher education are studying part-time, aged 18 to over 100. I suspect there’s a huge variety in their 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 directly 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, but more like a graduate contribution – so it’s important to understand exactly how the repayments work so you can think about their impact.