Home undergraduate students
Other Quick Links
Undergraduate
(home students)
Other students
Bookmark: 1
Tuition feesYou are responsible for paying a tuition fee for your study at St George’s.The following information is based on current fee levels, which are liable to change without notice. This information is provided as guidance, and does not form part of any contract.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee includes registration, tuition, examination and graduation charges and is payable in respect of each year of the degree programme.
Certain other fees are payable on re-entry to examinations by students not enrolled.
Who pays the tuition fees?
All international and all postgraduate students are personally liable for their fees. Home and EU undergraduate students may be eligible for assistance with fees.
Note for graduates:
Tuition fee loans are not available from the Student Loans Company.
For eligible UK students (those who are not graduates) on HEFCE-funded programmes, a tuition fee loan is available from the Student Loans Company (SLC) - apply at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
UK and EU students on NHS-funded programmes can apply for their tuition fees to be paid by the NHS Student Grants Unit.
MBBS (5 year course)
(Home/EU students)MBBS (4 year course)
(Home/EU students)Intercalated BSc
(Home/EU students)
BSc Biomedical Science/Informatics(Home/EU students)
A tuition fee loan is available to eligible students, through the Student Loans Company (SLC) - apply at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance.
Foundation for Medicine(Home/EU students)
A tuition fee loan is available to eligible students, through the Student Loans Company (SLC) - apply at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance.Physiotherapy/Radiography/Nursing/Midwifery (Home/EU students)
Apply to the NHS Student Grants Unit for a non repayable tuition fee grant.
Healthcare Practice Diploma
Bookmark: 2
Student Loans, grants and bursaries (UK, HEFCE-funded programmes)Not for graduates:
Graduates on all courses other than MBBS are not eligible to apply for funding from the Student Loans company. Graduates on the MBBS courses are eligible to apply for a Maintenance Loan only.
Student loans can help pay for the costs associated with taking a higher education course. They are issued by Student Finance England, a service managed by the Student Loans Company in partnership with the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills. The interest rate on student loans is linked to the rate of inflation (3.8% in 2008/9) so in real terms you only repay the same amount as you borrow. You need to submit an application for student finance for every year of your studies. If you applied for finance in a previous academic year, you will automatically be contacted with details about how to apply. If you did not apply for financial help for the first year of your course, you can still apply for help for the second or later years. You can apply online for this funding at: You can also apply for non-repayable financial assistance with Childcare/Adult Dependents/Disability costs from
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Repaying loans
For the loans you may take out — tuition fee loans and loans for living costs — repayment starts after you start earning. The amount you repay depends upon your income. Loans have an interest rate which is linked to inflation: this means that what you repay will be the same, in spending terms, as what you borrowed.
If you are out of work, or are earning less than ?15,000 per year, you do not have to repay until your circumstances have changed. Any loans that are not repaid after 25 years will be written off. There will also be a 5 year 'loan holiday'.
Muslim studentsThere is anecdotal evidence that some Muslim students may be working many hours over the 15 a week recommended by the NUS in order to survive without taking loans. In later clinical years of the MBBS courses, when working such long hours becomes impossible, the NHS bursary may help to take the pressure off.
There is the Maintenance Grant of up to ?2906 plus the St George's Bursary of up to ?1295, however, these are assessed on family income so not everyone is eligible.
Related Sites
Maintenance Grant
You’ll get at least a partial grant if your household income is ?50,020 or under.
Exactly how much is available depends on your household income: check the table below for a guide to what you’ll get.
Household income
Amount of grant for 2009/2010
Up to ?25,000
Full grant - ?2,906
?30,000
?1,906
?34,000
?1,106
?40,000
?711
?45,000
?381
?50,020
?50
More than ?50,020
No grant
If you’re getting help through the Maintenance Grant, it’s assumed that you won’t need to borrow as much through the Student Loan for Maintenance.To reflect this, some of the Maintenance Grant is paid instead of the Student Loan for Maintenance. If you're starting a course in 2009/2010, the amount you're eligible for through the Student Loan for Maintenance will be reduced by ?0.50 for every ?1 of Maintenance Grant you're entitled to.
This means that if you come from a lower income household, you’ll have less to repay when you finish studying and start work.
SGUL BursarySt George’s, University of London, also offers bursaries. If you receive a Maintenance Grant from the government, as described above, you will automatically be eligible for a bursary from St George’s. The Student Loans Company (SLC) is administering the bursary process on behalf of St George’s, so the information you provide to them will also be used to work out whether you will get a St George’s bursary. You do not have to repay this. The amount you receive will relate directly to the amount of Maintenance Grant you receive:
The SGUL Bursary will be paid in 2 instalments — 50% in February and 50% in May.
PrizesSt George’s offers numerous prizes for students undertaking the MBBS degree programme. Most are awarded throughout the course, normally on examination performance. There are also a number of Prize examinations held during the year, for which all MBBS students are eligible to enter.
NHS bursary for English and Welsh students (NHS funded courses):
Please note that this is not automatic and you must complete and return your application form to the NHS each year. You should receive a letter from them advising how much bursary you will receive for the year - you do not need to bring this into the Registry.
You can also apply for financial assistance with Childcare/Adult Dependents/Disability costs from the NHS.NHS Student Grants Unit — England and Wales:
http://www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk0845 358 6655
We advise you to check how you will be assessed by the NHS Student Grants Unit (eg whether you will be assessed on an Independent or Dependent basis)
Bookmark: 3
Living CostsDepending on the lifestyle you lead, a Home student living in London on a 39 week academic year will cost you at least ?6,000 plus ?3,900 for rent - a 52 week academic year will cost you at least ?7,900 plus ?5,100 for rent.Saving Money
Check the best ticket prices so you don't pay too much. Use Oystercards wherever possible to save on buses, tube and trams.
The scheme has been developed by TfL and National Rail with the support of the University of London Union, the National Union of Students and educational establishments in London.
An 18+ Student Oyster photocard entitles the holder to buy student-rate Travelcards and Bus Pass season tickets valid for 7 days, one month or longer periods of up to one year, which cost 30 per cent less than adult-rate season tickets.
Credit can also be added to an 18+ Student Oyster photocard to pay adult-rate Oyster single fares, which are cheaper than paying cash.
Single, daily, 3 Day tickets and Oyster single fares are not available at student-rate. If you live near your education establishment or only make a few journeys you can get a normal Oyster card and pay as you go at adult-rate. These are available online or from Tube stations, London Overground stations, Oyster Ticket Stops or London Travel Information Centres and some National Rail stations.
NUS Extra cardwww.nusonline.co.uk/cards Extra gives you access to tonnes of great discounts, both online and in-store, right across the UK and — now featuring the ISIC card — beyond! Discounts include: fashion, travel, competitions, entertainment, computer, phone and technology, sport, health and leisure, ethical shopping and more.
SoftwareAs a student you can buy software at special educational rates (though the software you need for your course will be on St George’s computers for you). See www.studentoptions.com plus we also have links with Pugh Computers to obtain Microsoft software www.pugh.co.uk
Sample budget
Check our sample budget to see how much you might spend.
Bookmark: 4
Help with moneyIf you get into difficulties…The government has provided all universities with a fund for student support (for Home/UK students) — called the Access to Learning Fund. This fund provides discretionary financial assistance for students to help them access and remain in Higher Education — particularly those students who need financial help to meet extra costs that cannot be met from other sources of support.The Fund can help to alleviate unexpected financial hardship.Students who may be considering leaving higher education because of financial problems are particularly encouraged to apply. You can apply to the Fund at any point throughout the academic year including the vacations. Any help you receive from the Fund is usually non- repayable. Applications can be accepted throughout the academic year and are available from the Student Centre website.
A separate fund is available for International/EU students. St George's has a fund available for International and EU students who are experiencing unexpected financial difficulty through no fault of their own (International/EU students should have secured enough funding to cover both tuition fees and living expences before starting their course).
If you are a first year student, and have the opportunity to live in Halls of Residence, take advantage of this subsidised rent, as once you enter private rented accommodation your living costs are likely to increase. If you are living in private rented accommodation, come to the Student Centre to request a Council Tax expemption letter.
You are advised to budget carefully before starting University. Go through a budget plan at the StudentMoney website.
Child Tax Credit if you have children — claim from HM Revenue and Customs (formerly the Inland Revenue). Telephone 0845 300 3900 or go to www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits for more details.
Bookmark: 5
How to apply for financial helpWhether you are applying to the Student Loan Company or the NHS Student Grants Unit, make sure you get your application in as early as possible even if you are not sure what course you will be doing or that you will definitely be coming to St George’s. If your application is received by the end of June, the Government guarantees that money will be available for you when you start your course. You will need to give:
your bank account details
your National Insurance (NI) Number
When your application has been assessed you will receive a letter from Student Finance England/NHS Student Grants unit advising how much you will receive from them and when you will receive it.
If you are eligible you will also receive a letter from us regarding any St George's Bursary due to you.
Bookmark: 6
How parents can help
Our agreement is with the student, not the parent.
Parents are not informed if a student gets into financial difficulties. Under the Data Protection Act, no third party, including a parent, may be given information regarding a student. It is important therefore that the student feels able to discuss such issues with their family.
The best way to help is to discuss finances and money management with your son/daughter and assist with preparation of a budget plan before the start of the course.
The importance of prioritising payments should be stressed — for example, ensuring money is set aside for rent before spending on extras such as clothes or mobile phone top-ups. Even if your son or daughter is receiving a full loan and grant, you may chose to give additional financial assistance. It is important that the amount and times of payment are agreed in advance to avoid conflict or misunderstanding later on. This also enables students to plan their budgets. Some of the best ways to help are:
Paying money direct — for example rent to a landlord
A monthly allowance — rather than a lump sum
Ensure payment time and method suits parents — for example fits in with when income is received
Assist with essentials (e.g. course costs and food)
Avoid giving cash
Avoid crisis payments
Avoid reducing or withholding money in order to control their lifestyle. They may hide problems rather than ask for help and be judged.
Finally you should not feel pressurised to provide more than you can afford or have agreed!
Bookmark: 7
How St George’s can helpWe know that funding is a very important part of a student's life at university and do everything we can to assist students (and their parents) in this area.
Accommodation (Halls) fees are payable in instalments
Tuition Fees are payable in instalments
Information about money management is given to all new students
One-to-one confidential advice on budgeting, money management and dealing with debt is available throughout the year
Early contact with students owing money to the University
Bookmark: 8
BanksYou will need a bank account to receive your Student Loan payments. If you need a letter confirming that you will be studying at St George's contact Admissions (before you enrol) or Registry (if you are a current student).
Shop around to find out which of the High Street Banks offer the best deals for students. Unless you use internet or telephone banking, it is sensible to open an account at a branch in Tooting. Make friends with the Student Banking Officer!
Most of the major banks and building societies have branches in or near the Tooting Broadway area and NatWest has a branch onsite.
Try to steer away from credit card offers, you'll be much better off going for an account which offers an interest free overdraft facility. If you do need to extend your overdraft, you must negotiate this with your bank as soon as possible. Unauthorised borrowing will result in lots and lots of penalty charges. Arrange for your statements to be sent monthly — this will help you keep a better track of your finances (You also need them if you apply for an Access to Learning Fund or International/EU Hardship Fund).
Credit and debit card sign
Bookmark: 9
More InformationThe Educational Grants Advisory Service. Gives information on charities and funding bodies which you may be able to apply to.
Bookmark: 10
DisclaimerNote 1:
Following a recent Government announcement this information is subject to change.