Fees, Finance & Policies

Higher Education fees don’t have to be paid ahead of starting with us. This means that you don’t have to worry about saving money ahead of your course because in most cases you’ll be able to cover the cost of your tuition fees with a loan through Student Finance England.

This will be paid automatically into a student account in your name and you won’t need to begin paying it back until you meet a salary threshold. The loan will not affect your credit rating and is not dependent on your current financial situation.

When you’re looking into student finance options, there’ll be other help available than just your tuition fee loan. You can get help to cover expenses around your course in the form of:

• Advanced Learner Loans
• Living cost grants
• Childcare grant
• Parents’ Living Allowance
• Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

Thinking About an Access to HE Course?

You may be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover course fees. If you go on to complete a degree, the loan is written off.

Eligibility:

• Aged 19 or over on the first day of your course
• Meet UK residency/immigration requirements

Potential restrictions:

• Already completed a Level 3+ qualification
• Defaulted on a previous loan
• Applying for two loans for the same or similar course

Residency requirements:

• Lived in the UK for 3 years before the course
• Have the right visa or immigration status (e.g. refugee status, ILR, EU pre-settled)

Need help?

If you’re unsure about whether you meet Advanced Loan funding criteria then be sure to contact:

• Student Finance England
• The National Careers Service
• Advanced Learner Loan page

You can also email our Admissions Team directly: Admissions@hopwood.ac.uk

Repaying your loan:

• You won’t have to make repayments until your income is over a set threshold, which will be £25,000 a year until April 2027
• From April 2027 the threshold is set to rise annually with inflation (RPI)
• If you study a full-time higher education course, you will be due to start repaying from the April after completing your course
• A 2026 graduate, who starts a job with a salary of £28,000 a year, would expect to repay around £17 per month over financial year 2027-28
• If your income drops below the threshold, your repayments will stop, and any outstanding balance will be written-off 40 years after entering repayment
• Visit www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay for more information

Help with living costs for full time students:

If you’re a full time student and need help with living costs, then student loans are also available. These are paid back in the same way as your tuition fee loan.

HE Policies