How to pick a uni you can afford

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As we’re sure you’ve been told many times, planning ahead when preparing for uni will be incredibly useful indeed, particularly when it comes to money. With the cost of living constantly on the rise, it’s important to know what unis you’re able to afford. Figuring this out can help you decide where to study while living comfortably without having money worries on your mind alongside your education. If you’re unsure about how to pick a uni that you can afford, keep on reading this handy guide to finding affordable universities in the UK to learn more. 

CONTENTS

• How much could you get from Student Finance?
• Considering the cost of living across the UK
• Where will you live during term time?
• Bursaries and scholarships
• Degree apprenticeships
• Figure out your budget 

How much could you get from Student Finance?

The first step to figuring out what unis you can afford is to figure out the size of student loans you can get from Student Finance. Most students will be eligible to receive a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan from student finance.  

Universities can charge up to £9,250 a year for undergraduate courses (this will be rising to £9,535 in England and Wales from the 2025/26 academic year), and in most cases, the tuition fee loan will cover all of this. It’s paid directly to the uni you choose to study at, so that bit is sorted right from the start. 

Outside of tuition fees, there are other expenses that you’ll need to be aware of while at uni, including rent, bills, food, course supplies and more. You’ll be able to use your maintenance loan for these costs. 

The amount of money you’ll get for your maintenance loan will vary depending on your household income and where you plan to live while studying. For most students, household income will mean how much their parents earn. Take a look at the chart below and you should be able to work out roughly how much you could get as a maintenance loan... 

Keep in mind that these will all be increasing slightly for the 2025/36 academic year in England and Wales.

When you start to think about where you could study, there’s a lot of stuff that you’ll need to consider – and the affordability of where you’ll study should be high up on the list. To help you find somewhere affordable to go to uni, we’ve got some handy bits of guidance that you ought to keep in mind. 

Considering the cost of living across the UK

Firstly, it’s important to note that areas and cities across the UK each have different cost of living situations. Rent, bills, food – all sorts of costs can vary between cities. For example, cities like London, Bristol and Oxford have a particularly high cost of living, while cities like Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham have a relatively low cost of living. 

With that in mind, if you were looking to go to a uni while saving some money, you could look at universities in areas and cities with lower cost of living. Check out our study in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales sections to find out more information on unis and the cost of living in areas around the country. 

Where will you live during term time?

You should also think about where you will be living during your time at uni, as rent will be one of your biggest expenses while studying. If you have the option to live with your parents or a family member while at uni and commute to your lectures, this can help you to save some money. Look for institutions closer to home to see if this is a viable option for you using our handy University Finder Map. 

This could be a trade-off for the independence of the traditional uni experience which you might not want to sacrifice. On the other hand, it could make going to university feasible when the other options are out of reach. You’ll definitely want to give it some thought to weigh out the pros and cons. 

Bursaries and scholarships

Some universities offer bursaries and scholarships to students for various reasons, which can make going to uni much more affordable. If a university offers a bursary or scholarship that you’re eligible for, this could help you choose where you can afford to study.  

Unlike student loans, bursaries and scholarships don’t have to be paid back. However, not everyone is eligible for them, and you’ll have to put in some legwork to find and apply for them. The best place to look for info on bursaries and scholarships is the university’s website, or by contacting the uni to find out more. You can do both of those things via our university profiles. 

Degree apprenticeships

A different route you could take is to go for a degree apprenticeship instead of a standard undergraduate degree. Degree apprenticeships split your time between studying and the workplace, giving you industry experience while earning money and a degree. What’s more, they’re free – the cost of studying is covered by the employer and the government. 

There are fewer subjects available for degree apprenticeships than there are for standard degrees, with a focus on vocational subjects like automotive engineering, construction and chartered surveying. Taking a degree apprenticeship might also mean you miss out on some of the traditional aspects of uni life as you’ll have a real workplace to go to. Again, it’s worth considering as an option and seeing if it’s the right fit for you. 

Figure out your budget

To help with figuring out what sort of uni experience you want to look for, it’s highly recommended that you figure out your budget. Doing so will show you what you can afford, as well as potentially what you could cut to help your funds stretch further.  

When figuring out your budget, take a look at our city guides to get an idea of what unis are in what areas and their cost of living situations so you can adjust your budget according to where you would be living. This might give you a good place to start with further uni research.

Read more about things to consider when you're looking at unis and courses.

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