How Many Years of Student Finance Can I Get in the UK?
Determining the number of years of student finance you are eligible for in the UK depends primarily on whether you are studying full-time or part-time. It also takes into account if you have studied a higher education course previously.
Full-Time Study
If you are undertaking your first ever higher education course in the UK on a full-time basis, you can generally receive funding for the standard length of your program plus one additional “gift” year.
First Higher Education Course
- For your first full-time higher education course, you are usually entitled to funding for the standard duration of your course plus one extra year. This additional year is commonly referred to as a “gift year”.
- For example, if you are studying a 3-year bachelor’s degree full-time, you would be able to get funding for 4 years in total – the 3 years of the degree plus 1 gift year.
Some key points about the gift year:
- It allows you extra time to complete your studies if needed.
- You do not need to justify or give any reasons for needing the extra gift year.
- It is an automatic entitlement as long as you have not studied a higher education course before.
However, if you have previously undertaken any full-time higher education study, this can affect your entitlements and mean you do not qualify for the extra gift year. See the following section for more details.
Previously Studied Full-Time Course
If you have already been funded by student finance for a previous full-time higher education course, the rules are slightly different:
- Any prior full-time study is deducted from your total student finance entitlement.
- This means you only get funding for the standard length of your new course, without the extra gift year.
For example, if you studied a 3-year degree full-time previously and got 3 years of funding, then went on to do a 2-year master’s degree, you would only get funding for 2 years of the master’s. Your previous 3 years would be deducted, so no gift year would be included.
The number of years deducted will depend on the length of your past course(s). This applies regardless of whether or not you completed the qualifications. Any years with full-time student finance are still counted.
The important thing is that you can only ever receive student finance for a total combined period of longer than 4 years if studying full-time. This protects public funds and ensures an equal chance for all students.
Part-Time Study
Slightly different rules and caps apply if you are undertaking higher education on a part-time basis:
Maximum 16 Years
- For part-time courses, there is a lifetime limit of 16 years total funded study.
- This cap applies to all part-time university and college courses, including distance learning programs.
Once you have received 16 years of part-time student finance in total, you will no longer be eligible for any additional funding in the future.
For example, if you do an 8-year part-time degree, you could potentially do another 8-year part-time degree and receive the full 16 years permitted. But if you have already used up 10 years for one degree, you would only have 6 years remaining for additional part-time study.
Equivalent Full-Time Duration Rule
As well as the 16 year limit, there is another important rule specifically around part-time course length and funding entitlement:
- You must be able to complete your part-time course in no more than 4 times the equivalent full-time duration.
- For example, if the full-time version is a 3 year course, you must finish the part-time program within 12 years.
This is to ensure all part-time students can realistically complete their qualification within an acceptable timeframe.
If your intended part-time course duration exceeds 4 times the full-time length, you would not be able to claim any student finance funding for it.
So in the above example with a 3-year full-time course, if the part-time version lasted 15 years, funding would be declined based on the 12-year limit rule.
When in Doubt, Check Official Sources
Determining exactly how many years of student finance you personally are entitled to can get quite complex given all the specific rules around full-time vs part-time study, along with previous higher education study allowance deductions.
If in doubt, it’s always best to carefully check guidance from official UK student finance sources, like the government website here:
https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
On here you can find tailored calculators to work out your estimated funding timeline, along with detailed descriptions of qualifying criteria for both full-time and part-time support entitlements in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Be sure to double check the version specific to where you ordinarily live, as there can sometimes be slight differences in regulations between the four UK territories.
Conclusion
In summary, the number of years of UK student finance you can receive is dependent on:
- Study type – full-time or part-time
- Previous study – if you have undertaken higher education previously
- Specific course duration – the standard length of your qualification
For full-time students on a first higher education course, you usually get the length of your program plus one extra “gift” year of funding.
If studying full-time but have received student finance previously, you only get the exact duration of your new course.
Part-time students have a lifetime limit of 16 years total funded study. Additionally, each individual part-time course must be finishable within 4 times the equivalent full-time length.
Always check official government sources to determine your personal maximum timeframe for assistance. Their enhanced calculators can estimate your particular entitlement precisely.
With sound understanding of the regulations around number of funded years, you can plan your higher education study path accordingly and get the most out of student finance.
FAQ
Q: How many years of student finance can I get for a typical 3 year bachelor’s degree studied full-time?
A: For a 3 year bachelor’s degree studied full-time as your first ever higher education qualification, you would be entitled to 4 years of student finance – funding for the 3 years of the actual degree, plus 1 additional “gift year”.
Q: I did a 4 year full-time degree course previously and got the full 4 years of funding. If I now want to do a 1 year master’s degree full-time, how many years of support can I get?
A: As you have already received 4 years of funding for your past full-time degree, you would only be entitled to the 1 year for your new 1 year master’s qualification. No extra gift year is included when you have undertaken past higher education study already. So you may access 1 further year of finance in total.
Q: What’s the maximum number of years I could ever get if studying higher education courses part-time?
A: All part-time higher education courses have a collective lifetime limit of 16 academic years of student finance available. This 16 year threshold applies regardless of number/length of qualifications undertaken on a part-time basis.
Q: Can I get funding for a 6 year part-time economics degree program if the equivalent full-time course length is 3 years?
A: Unfortunately not. For all part-time study, your chosen course must be finishable within 4 times the comparable full-time duration. As this 6-year course exceeds 4 times the 3-year full-time version (i.e. 12 years maximum), you could not claim funding for it.
Also see: