Fees and funding

Undergraduate finance

Making the decision to study at university can be a big financial commitment, which is why it's important for you to learn about the fees you will need to pay as well as how to manage your money before you start your studies.

Tuition fees

On 4 November 2024 the government announced proposed changes to university tuition fees for UK students in England. These proposals include increasing fees for undergraduate courses and adjusting tuition fees payable for foundation year courses from 1 August 2025.

We understand that as future and current students, as well as parents and carers, you will be anxious to know more about this and how you will be affected by these proposals.

At the moment, these are proposals, and still need to be ratified through parliament before any formal changes to fees can be confirmed. We, along with many other universities and funding bodies, are currently working to understand the impact of the proposed changes and we will communicate with you when we have a clearer picture. Until then, you will find useful information via the following links:

The fees for UK part-time students will vary depending on the number of credits taken per year, and the fees for our DipHE or Top-up courses and the foundation year of a full degree may differ. Please see the relevant course page for details.

Tuition fee loans are provided by the Student Loans Company and applications are made to Student Finance England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland as appropriate.

Student finance opens for applications in early spring each year, but the dates and deadlines differ depending on which country you live in, please use the links above to Student Finance England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland to check the application deadline dates relevant to you. We would encourage you to apply for your student finance as soon as possible to ensure your finances are in place for the new academic year.

The repayment threshold and timescales can vary depending on when you took your loan out. For students starting their degree from September 2024, the repayment threshold for tuition fee loans is set at £25,000. This means that you will only start paying your loan back once you graduate and start earning over this amount. For more information on repaying your loan, visit the gov.uk website.

As the UK has now left the European Union, students from the EU pay the international fee rate. These differ by course, so please see the relevant course page on our website for more details. The government has confirmed that this change won't apply to Irish nationals living in the UK and Ireland whose right to study and to access benefits and services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for UK and Irish nationals under the Common Travel Area arrangement.

If you're a student from outside the UK, you can find a handy guide to applying for student finance on the Student Room. We also have more details on our fees and funding for international students page. If you have any queries about your eligibility for student finance, you should check this with the relevant funding body as appropriate. We do not make decisions about eligibility for loans; the decision lies with the funding body directly.

Find out more about tuition fee loans

Maintenance loans

The other major cost at university is living costs; this includes accommodation, utilities, travel, food, stationery and any course materials. If there are costs associated with your particular course of study this will be outlined on our course finder pages.

To support with meeting these costs, you’re entitled to apply for a maintenance loan. This is a means-tested loan and will take a number of factors into consideration, including:

Household income – this means the total gross income of the students’ parent(s), caregivers or spouse living in the household where the student lives
Living arrangements – students living away from home are entitled to a higher maintenance loan than those staying in the family home

There are other factors taken into account, but these are the major ones. There is a handy calculator on the Student Finance website which you can use to check eligibility for student loans.

You apply for your maintenance loan at the same time as your tuition fee loan and it is paid directly into your bank account in three instalments. The first instalment will be paid once your attendance at University has been confirmed – we use the date you collect your ID card as the confirmation of attendance and it can take three to five working days after this before the monies are released.

Use the student finance calculator to check your eligibility

Think you can't afford university? Think again.

If you're considering studying a degree at university, but are wondering how you're going to afford the costs involved, watch our video about the key student finance facts and figures and discover how your education is affordable.

Funding support for healthcare students

If you're studying one of the following courses at pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate level, you may also be eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund, which provides supplementary funding:

Diagnostic Radiography
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Prosthetics and Orthotics
Midwifery
Nursing (adult, child, mental health, learning disability, joint nursing/social work)

Further details regarding the bursary can be found on the NHS Learning Support Fund webpage.

Financial support at Salford

We're dedicated to helping our students get the most out of their time studying with us, which is why we have a number of financial support schemes in place including our Inspire Support Scheme. See below for further information about the schemes that are available.

Support schemes and bursaries

Inspire Support Scheme

When you complete registration here on campus you'll automatically be given access to an Inspire account. The scheme is open to all new undergraduate students joining a foundation year or year one of an undergraduate degree based at the University, and gives you £150 of credit to spend in a dedicated online store. You'll be able to buy learning resources such as text books, electronics or stationery, to give you the best possible start to your studies here at Salford. This scheme will run annually, meaning you’ll receive £150 of credits each year of your undergraduate degree if based here on campus.

For students from low-income backgrounds and living in areas where participation in higher education is low, there will also be the opportunity to receive an additional £350 of credits, bringing the total to £500 each year (so long as both conditions still apply). This additional amount is only available to undergraduate students paying home tuition fees; it will be based on your personal circumstances and will be assessed at the point of registering as a student here in September. You will be reassessed at registration each year to determine the level of award for that academic year.

For further details on the scheme including terms and conditions, and to get an idea of what you can buy, visit the Inspire site. You'll also be able to see the full terms and conditions and frequently asked questions.

Care Leavers' and Care Experienced Students' Bursary

Care leavers from the UK who are studying an undergraduate degree may be eligible for an annual bursary of £1,100. This will be paid in two instalments of £550, the first in November and the second in April. To find out more, including full eligibility, please see our care experienced student webpage, or contact our Course Enquiries team on +44 (0)161 295 4545, or email enquiries@salford.ac.uk.

We are also university partners with the Unite Foundation, who have a scholarship that can provide up to three years of free accommodation whilst you’re at university. You can find out how to apply via the This Is Us website. If you’re successful you’ll get your accommodation without having to pay rent or bills for up to three years.

Estrangement Bursary

We offer a bursary of up to £1,100 per academic year progressed on to for undergraduate students from the UK that can demonstrate that they have no relationship with their parent(s), or a negative relationship with parent(s). This bursary is split into two payments of £300 and £800 and is intended to assist with extra costs such as summer rent and bills.

Please see the eligibility criteria on our estranged students webpage. A completed registration form and accepted evidence must be received and validated by our specialist advisers for payment to be made. Retrospective payments for missed bursaries are unfortunately unable to be made. To find out more, please contact us at specialistsupport@salford.ac.uk or call +44 (0)161 295 0023 (option 1, option 3).

Student Carer Bursary

Student carers from the UK who are studying an undergraduate degree and able to prove that they have caring responsibilities for a family member or friend with a disability/long term illness will be eligible to apply for an annual bursary of £550. For more information, including full eligibility, please contact our team by calling +44 (0)161 295 0023 (option 1, option 3) or email specialistsupport@salford.ac.uk.

Donor funded scholarships and bursaries

It is through the generosity of our alumni, friends and industry partners that we are able to provide a number of donor-funded scholarships and bursaries for University of Salford students who would otherwise find it challenging to fund their studies.

There are a range of scholarships and bursaries available, at a University-wide level, as well as specific to schools and subject areas, supporting talented students who may need additional financial aid to support their time at Salford.

Find out more

The University of Salford is committed to widening access to higher education. Find out more about our current and future access and participation agreements.

Managing your money

Some basic budgeting skills will be important for all students. You’ll find a wealth of information on askUS to support with this, as well as information on how to manage your money. We’ve also created a guide to living costs at Salford, too - so you won't be stuck for resources on this topic.

You can also read our blog posts for some advice on saving before starting uni and money-saving shopping tips from Salford students themselves, to get ahead of the game.

Additional resources

The Student Room is an excellent resource for applicants, covering information on a wide range of topics. You'll also find that Money Saving Expert has dedicated information for students including money saving tips, budget planners and student bank accounts, as well as discounts and deals.

Additional government support

In order to help with the cost of studying at university, there is also other additional government support available to you depending on your circumstances.

If you’re a fulltime student with a dependent child(ren) or spouse, then you may be eligible to apply for one of the following government grants; Parents’ Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant, Adult Dependants' Grant. These extra support payments are paid in addition to your other student finance and do not have to be paid back.

If you’re a student with a learning difficulty, health problem or disability, the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is available to help cover any study-related costs you may have. This type of support and how much you’re able to get depends on your individual needs and can be made as a payment on its own or in addition to any other student finance you receive. If you need support with your application for DSA, our Disability and Inclusion Service is on hand to help.

Need further information?

If you have any further questions about finance at University, contact our course enquiries team on +44 (0)161 295 4545 or email enquiries@salford.ac.uk.