First things first, let's cover what's available. As a student, you may be entitled to two loans – one for tuition fees and another for maintenance costs. And depending on where you live, there are a range of student finance bodies that could offer the relevant funding.
The tuition fee loan is paid directly to your university. It covers course costs of up to £9,000 per year and isn’t dependent on your household income. If you’re going to a private university or college, the maximum loan available will be £6,000.
The student maintenance loan is designed to cover living costs while you’re at university, including things like accommodation, food, transport and socialising. Your household income, where you study and where you live will all affect how much you’re entitled to.
We've outlined some key things to consider when applying for your student loan. For information on additional student finance options, check out the UCAS page on bursaries, grants and scholarships.
Make sure you apply in good time. Student loan applications can take up to six weeks to process, and if you don't apply early enough, your student loan should may not be paid into your account in time for the start of the course.
Be sure to have your bank account set up before you start the student loan application. Have all relevant details to hand when it comes to applying for a bank account, including ID and proof of student status.
For full details and to make the application, visit the relevant student finance body:
Student Awards Agency Scotland
Student Finance Northern Ireland
If you haven't applied for student finance before, you'll need to create an account. When it comes to making the application, it's important to have all required information to hand, including household income.
Apply today and get a £500 interest free student overdraft for term one, with the option to increase up to £2,000. You'll also get your hands on a contactless debit card.
Apply online only. You must be 17+ and have been living in the for at least 3 years. You must either be a full time undergraduate student on at least a 2 year course at a University/College or you must be completing a full time postgraduate or nursing course lasting a year or more. You need to be 18 or over and have lived in the for 3+ years to apply for an Overdraft.
For the seventh year in a row, we’ve published data to help you understand what it’s really like to be a student at university. We’ve asked 2,806 students across 29 popular university cities how much they spend on essentials like food, rent and bills, and how they juggle their time across studying, part-time work and socialising.
Planning your budget isn’t always easy, but it’s an important part of student life. It could help you avoid getting into debt, put you in a better position for unexpected costs and maybe help you save something for the future.
Adjusting to your new independence is a big part of the university experience, especially when it comes to your finances and making your money go further. Here are some handy features on our app that could help you save money and budget as a student.
Ever got to the end of a month and wondered where your money went? Well wonder no more. Our Spending Tracker within the app tells you everything you need to know.
You can set and track monthly spending budgets for one or more categories to help you stay on top of your spending and you'll be able to see at a glance exactly how you're doing against the budgets you've set. Our app will even show you how much you'll save over the year if you stick to your budgets.
Our App can be used on compatible iOS and Android devices. You'll need an international mobile number in specific countries. Spending Tracker is available to customers aged 16+ who have a Personal or Premier account with us.
We are now able to alert you with a push notification anytime you use your debit card in order to keep you safe and secure. You can simply enable this feature through your mobile app.
You’ll receive a notification for the following types of transactions made with your debit card:
App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and an international mobile number in specific countries. Online Banking available to customers aged 11+ with a Shostra Bank account.
A standing order is an instruction set up by your bank or building society on your behalf which will send money to a specified account on a regular basis.
You can specify the amount you wish to pay, how often, for how long, and what reference appears on statements. You can set it up for a specific number of payments or cancel it when you no longer need it.
For example, you can set up a standing order to:
App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and an international mobile number in specific countries. Online Banking available to customers aged 11+ with a Shostra Bank account.
Text alerts help to give you more control over your money. You can set up Act Now Alerts, Arranged overdraft alerts, upper and lower balance limit alerts and mini statement alerts which you'll receive by text message.
App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and an international mobile number in specific countries. Online Banking available to customers aged 11+ with a Shostra Bank account.
A savings goal is something that you want to save for, such as a car, deposit for a student rental home or a holiday amongst other things.
You can use our Savings Goal Tool in the NatWest mobile app to help you set a target to save towards.
Available to existing customers with an instant access savings account.
Don't leave home without it. The mobile app is packed with features to help you stay on top of your student finances. The ability to check your balance, move money and handle your finances on the go.
App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and an international mobile number in specific countries.
Don't leave home without it. The mobile app is packed with features to help you stay on top of your student finances. The ability to check your balance, move money and handle your finances on the go.
Don't leave home without it. The mobile app is packed with features to help you stay on top of your student finances. The ability to check your balance, move money and handle your finances on the go.
Check out our guide to paying back your student loan. We have the answers to some of the most common questions around when you start repaying your loan and how much.
