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Undergraduate funding – Bath Spa University

Funding for undergraduate students

How to fund your undergraduate course, and additional funding that’s available.

The funding that you are eligible for depends on your fee status, the type of programme you are studying and when you start your Bath Spa University studies. If you are unsure of your fee status, please refer to our definitions for determing fee status.

Your guide to student finance

This guide will help you understand the financial support available to you whilst at university. It covers everything from important dates, Bath Spa funding and some top tips.

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Funding for UK students

Student Finance

It is important to check out your own funding situation by referring to the official webpages. The information below is a broad overview only and subject to change.

Applications for funding

You can apply for funding depending on where you live before attending university.

You should not delay making your application, see the links below for the deadlines for ensuring your funding will be in place ready for September.

For information about your student finance entitlement and how to apply, please visit:

Tuition fee loans

You can apply for a non means-tested loan up to the maximum of £9,250 each year to cover the full amount of your tuition fees. You can choose to borrow a lesser amount (or none). The fee loan is paid directly to the University. 

Eligibility for the loan may be affected if you have previously studied in higher education even if you paid the fees yourself.

Can I change my tuition fee loan amount?

If you change your mind about the amount of tuition fee loan that you want to borrow for an academic year, you can still amend the loan up or down (up to the maximum tuition fee loan entitlement).

If you decide, during the academic year, that you wish to change the amount of tuition fee loan that you have requested, you should contact Student Finance England.

Maintenance loan

Maintenance loans are available for your living costs during the academic year. The maintenance loan is paid into your bank account once your registration has been confirmed at the University. The amounts will differ if you are a student from England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.

You may need to give details of your household income to be assessed for part of the maintenance loan. The GOV.UK website explains what is meant by household income in more detail.

Use the Student Finance calculator to estimate how much maintenance loan you could receive.

Finance for placement year

You can find out more on the Student Finance studying abroad webpage. The tuition fees charged and the funding available is different if you take a placement year as part of your degree.

Tuition fees

The tuition fees are between £1,385 and £1,850. You can apply for a tuition fee loan to cover the fees.

  • studying abroad for a full year under the Erasmus scheme or doing a work placement for a full year under the Erasmus scheme or studying abroad for part of a year under the Erasmus scheme where the periods of full-time study at the UK institution are in aggregate less than 10 weeks is £1,385 – 15% of the full-time fee
  • undertaking a sandwich work placement (paid & non-paid) year where the periods of full-time study are in aggregate less than 10 weeks is £1,850 – 20% of the full-time fee

Maintenance loan for living costs

  • If you spend a year of a UK course studying abroad, you could receive a loan at the overseas rate. 

Studying abroad: travel grants for students (England) 

You may get a grant to cover some of your travel expenses if you normally live in England and:

There’s a different process if you’re a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Repaying your student loan

When will students have to start repaying their loan?

Please see GOV.UK website for more information.

How much will students be repaying each month?

Please see Student Finance website for more information.

How will interest affect the loan?

For information on the loan interest, please see the Student Loans Company website on how they calculate interest.

How long will students be making repayments for?

Please see GOV.UK website for more information.

How will students make the repayments?

This will depend on whether you are employed, self-employed or working abroad.  Please see Student Finance website for more information.

Bursaries

Bath Spa University bursaries are non-repayable awards. Please visit our Bath Spa University Bursaries webpage for more information

University Access Fund

If you're facing unexpected financial hardship, the Student Funding Team may be able to help you. Find out more about our Bath Spa University Access Fund.

Short-Term Loan Scheme

The Short Term Loan Scheme is designed to assist students who have an unexpected delay to their funding.

There are not sufficient funds to provide substitute overdrafts for students, if you do not have an overdraft you will need to provide proof you have applied and been refused. 

A Short Term Loan is up to £100 in any given week for a single person with no dependents to be repaid in 30 days. If you feel that you require a higher amount or longer loan period, speak to a member of Student Support who may be able to approve this in exceptional cases.

Loans will not normally be offered to students who have defaulted on a previous Short Term Loan, or who have not exhausted other sources of funding available to them.

Any currently registered home UK student may apply for a Short Term Loan but loans are not normally given in the last 2 months of your course of study. We aim to contact you via email regarding the application within two working days (Monday to Friday).

Successful applicants must provide a debit card repayment dated for 30 days’ time [or your next student loan instalment, whichever is sooner] for the full value of the loan. 

Short-term loans can be paid via BACS into your bank account, but you will need to allow time for the funds to clear in your account.

Failure to repay your loan may result in you being excluded from the short term loan scheme or being unable to register for your next year of study.

Funding for international students

Financial aid for US students

Bath Spa University is eligible to certify loan applications for William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (Direct Loans) including Direct subsidized loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Parent PLUS loans and Graduate PLUS loans.

The Bath Spa University school code is: G35333.

More information about US Federal Direct Loans is available on the Federal Student Aid website via the following link www.ed.gov.

For information on Federal Aid, fee payments and general financial information, please see the US Federal Loans webpages.

US Private loans

The only private loan currently available to students at foreign schools is the Sallie Mae Student Loan.

Please review the Direct Lending programme before you progress with a private loan as this may be a more favourable option

For information on private loans, fee payments and general financial information, please see the Sallie Mae Private Loans webpage.

Veterans Affairs Benefits

Bath Spa University participated in the US Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits Program and some courses were approved to process VA Benefits under various GI Bill programmes.

However, due to changes in legislation for foreign schools, we are currently unable to request any additional courses are approved. Even if you wish to study a course already approved by the VA, you may not be able to use your benefits. 

Please contact studentawards@bathspa.ac.uk for further information.

Loans for Canadian students

The Government of Canada offers full and part-time loans to students with demonstrated financial need in all provinces and territories across Canada, with the exception of Quebec, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The purpose of a Canadian Student Loan is to supplement, not replace, the financial resources that you (and your family, where applicable) are expected to contribute.

For information on Canadian Loans, fee payments and general financial information, please see the Funding for students from Canada webpages.

Scholarships

Bath Spa University offers a range of scholarship opportunities for high-achieving international students who would gain from studying in the UK. The scholarship programme includes opportunities at undergraduate level. 

The University also awards a Sanctuary Scholarship to students from refugee and asylum-seeking communities.

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