Student loans and financial support

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to study at Birkbeck. We want you to feel confident about applying for and enrolling on a first degree or certificate, knowing whether you can pay your fees by taking a government loan.

Our promise to you: if you're eligible for a loan, you will pay nothing upfront.

Government loans for certificate and undergraduate students

• The government will pay eligible Birkbeck students’ fees through the student loan system - you just need to make sure you're eligible. If the following three statements are true for you, you will get a student loan from the Government:
• I want to study for an undergraduate degree or certificate of higher education and this is my first time studying at this level
• I have never had a student loan before
• I am classified as a Home/EU student
• Government funding regulations state that student status is dependent on nationality and residence, and you normally should have lived in the UK for three years prior to the start of your programme to be classed as a Home/EU student. For details, see the Government website: www.gov.uk/studentfinance
• If you have had a student loan before you may still be eligible for a further loan. Contact the Student Loans Company to discuss your eligibility: www.slc.co.uk/
• By applying for a loan, you will not have to pay your fees upfront. Once you have applied for a course and been offered a place, Birkbeck will help you apply for your loan.
• Check our undergraduate course listings to see the fees for your course.
• Check our online tutorial on loans and other financial support
• Watch our videos on fees and finance for part-time students
• Get one-to-one advice: attend events and webinars.

Birkbeck financial support: cash bursaries and fee reductions

• Birkbeck offers a very generous student financial support package to ensure that money is not a barrier to study.
• Watch our video on fees and finance for part-time students
• Check the Money Saving Expert student finance calculator
• Check our online tutorial on loans, bursaries and fee reductions

Student loans not an option for you?

• Find out more about our interest-free instalment payment scheme.

Fees for postgraduate and MPhil/PhD students

• You will find details of fees for postgraduate courses on our postgraduate and MPhil/PhD course descriptions.
• Programme fees are subject to annual increases and are not fixed for the duration of a programme of study.

Related information

• Financial support for continuing part-time undergraduate degree and Certificate of Higher Education students who started prior to October 2012.
• Alumni discount: Birkbeck is offering a 10% discount on tuition fees to all Birkbeck alumni enrolling on any master's degree (MA, MSc, LLM and MRes) starting in the autumn of 2013/14.
• Union member discount: If you are a member of a union that is recognised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), you can claim 10% off all accredited Birkbeck courses (certificates, undergraduate and postgraduate) as long as you are choosing to study at a level that is not lower than or equivalent to any existing qualifications you may hold.
• Paying your fees by instalments: When you enrol online you can spread your payments across instalments starting from the date that you enrol.