Money Matters

You can apply for a student loan to help pay for tuition fees if you live in the UK or a European Union country. You may also be eligible for a loan for living costs.

You will not have to pay your fees upfront.

If you live in England*, you can get a loan to cover your tuition fees. You will only start repaying this once you are earning over £21,000 per year.

Learn more about student loans

* If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you will receive financial support for university from the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government or the Northern Ireland Executive (as appropriate). If you live in the EU and meet certain eligibility criteria, you can get a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees.

The University offers a generous package of direct financial support to eligible students.

You may be eligible for a bursary in each year of your study to support your living costs.

Find out more about University bursaries and eligibility criteria

The University offers a range of bursaries designed to help UK undergraduate students in the most financial need. On average, a third of Southampton students receive a bursary.

You may be eligible if you fulfil the following criteria.

1. You are a new, full-time UK undergraduate student.
2. You are not already receiving an NHS bursary.
3. Your household income is £25,000 or less per year (bursary = £1,250 for every year of full-time registration to which the £3,290 tuition fee applies).
4. Your household income is between £25,001 and £40,000 (bursary = £625 for every year of full-time registration to which the £3,290 tuition fee applies).

You should apply for these bursaries when you apply for your statutory funding. Bursaries are paid in January. More information on bursaries.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight bursary

The University offers up to 120 bursaries each year to first-year students from minority groups who, at the time of application, were living in or studying at a further education college or school sixth form in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

In order to qualify for one of these bursaries, you must meet certain criteria. You can apply if you are:

1. a new, full-time UK undergraduate student
2. living and/or studying at a sixth-form or further education college in Hampshire or on the Isle of Wight (or with a postcode in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area)
3. a UK resident (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
4. living in a household with a total income of less than £40,000
5. not already receiving an NHS bursary

Find out more about student bursaries

Undergraduate International Merit Scholarships 2023

Scholarships are available for international students - £1,000 for each A* (A level), 7 (IB Higher Level) or an equivalent standard in other qualifications approved by the University. Please see more information here: International Merit Scholarships | University of Southampton.

If you meet the requirements, your scholarship amount will automatically be applied as a tuition fee discount during your first year of study. You do not need to make a separate application for these scholarships.

Canadian Prestige Scholarship for Law 2023

This Scholarship is available to all students who have Canadian citizenship enrolling on any of our undergraduate Law programmes for 2023 entry, provided they meet or exceed their offer. It provides £1,000 for each year of study and to receive payments in future years, you must pass each module on the first attempt each year.

Further details can be found on the Southampton Canadian Prestige Scholarship for Law page.

Depending on your personal circumstances (eg your household income), you may be eligible for a Special Support Grant.

Additional help is also available if you have:

• a disability or a specific learning difficulty
• dependent children or adults.

Discover if you are eligible for a grant on the Government Student Finance website.

Find out more

If you live outside England, you will find relevant information on your local student finance website.

• Student Awards Agency for Scotland
• Student Finance Wales
• Student Finance Northern Ireland.

The Student Support Fund

This Fund provides discretionary financial support for those able to demonstrate genuine financial hardship. It can be used to help with living costs including childcare, disability, travel, accommodation, household expenses, books and course equipment. Full-time ‘home' undergraduate students and part-time students studying at least 50 per cent of a full-time course can apply. The fund cannot help students meet the cost of tuition fees.

Learn more about The Student Support Fund

Allowances and grants

If you have dependants, are a single parent and/or have a disability, you may also be entitled to a grant to help meet certain living costs.

1. If you are a parent, you can apply for a Parents’ Learning Allowance and Childcare Grant, together with the Child Tax Credit.
2. If you have a disability, you will be eligible for an allowance to pay for non-medical help, specialist equipment, general costs relating to your disability and extra travel costs.

The Disabled Students’ Award is the only award that is not means-tested.

Access to Learning Fund

This Fund provides discretionary financial support for those able to demonstrate genuine financial hardship. It can be used to help with living costs including childcare, disability, travel, accommodation, household expenses, books and course equipment. Full-time ‘home’ undergraduate students and part-time students studying at least 50 per cent of a full-time course can apply.

If you fall within one of the following groups you will be a priority for help from the Access to Learning Fund:

1. students with children, especially lone parents
2. mature students, especially those with existing financial commitments
3. disabled students, especially where the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is unable to meet particular costs and the institution has no legal responsibility to do so
4. care leavers
5. students from the Foyer Federation or who are homeless
6. final-year students

The Access to Learning Fund cannot help students meet the cost of tuition fees, or help those who have mismanaged their finances and simply run out of money. It cannot compensate for the lack of parental contribution, especially where a student has only been able to take the non-means-tested element of the Student Loan.

if you are awarded the full £2,906 maintenance grant and are on a programme of study charging the full £3,290, you will also be eligible for a University bursary

More information on grants