Scholarships and funding

If you’re a UK student (or qualify for ‘home’ funding) then you may be eligible to apply for a loan.

The UK Government offers eligible students tuition fee loans and maintenance loans to help pay for tuition fees and contribute towards living costs. If you are eligible and choose to take out a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, you won't have to pay any tuition fees upfront and you don't currently have to start repaying the loan until you have finished your course and are earning over the income threshold.

If you have any previous years of higher education study, or you are repeating a year of study, your funding may be affected by repeat funding rules. Previous years of study include periods of self-funded study, or any study undertaken abroad. If you think that this may apply to you please see the attached guidance on repeat study (.pdf) and compelling personal reasons (CPR) (.pdf).

What you need to know

• You do not need a confirmed place at Essex to apply for Student Finance, check the application deadlines to ensure your Funding is in place in time.
• Tuition fee loans are paid directly to the University at the start of every term once you have registered for your course.
• You can use the student finance calculator to estimate how much Maintenance Loan you’ll get - it will also tell you if you’re eligible for extra grants or allowances.
• Maintenance loans are paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term. Sign into your student finance account to update your bank details and check how much and when you’ll be paid.
• You must remember to reapply for your Tuition fee and Maintenance loans each year.
• You start repaying your loan in the April after you finish your course and only once you are earning over the income threshold.
• Up to date income thresholds and further information on repayments can be found on the Government web pages.

A ‘home fees’ assessment by the University does not guarantee Government funding for fees or living costs. The Student Loans Company will conduct its own eligibility assessment. If you have been assessed as eligible for home fees based on an application to the EU Settlement Scheme, your entitlement to Student Loans Company funding for fees or living costs may be affected in future years if your status changes. Once registered at the University, all students, regardless of funding source and fee status, are liable for their fees. Further information can be found in the University’s Tuition Fees and Liability Policy and on our fee status page.

If you are from Northern Ireland

If you are from Northern Ireland and are thinking of studying with us, you may eligible for funding from Student Finance Northern Ireland. They offer a tuition fee loan to cover your course fees in full and a Maintenance loan for living costs.

If you are from Scotland

If you are from Scotland and are thinking of studying with us, you may eligible for funding from Student Awards Agency Scotland. They offer a tuition fee loan to cover your course fees in full and a Maintenance loan for living costs.

If you are from Wales

If you are from Wales and are thinking of studying with us, you may eligible for funding from Student Finance Wales. They offer a tuition fee loan to cover your course fees in full and a Maintenance loan for living costs.

Following the UK's decision to withdraw from the European Union, EU students who started their studies after October 2021 are likely to be classed as international students for tuition fee purposes and you will need to pay international fees. We'll assess your fee status when you apply to Essex and if you are successful in gaining an offer, your fee status will be confirmed in your offer letter. Visit our fee status page for more information.

EU students starting their studies after October 2021 will no longer be eligible for UK Government funding unless you have settled or pre-settled status. For more information, please see our changes after Brexit webpage.

We offer a wide range of discounts, bursaries and scholarships to make funding your studies easier, including our Undergraduate EU Scholarship worth £5000. There are also additional scholarships and funding sources available for some countries, please check the webpage for your country for further information.

There are country-specific funding opportunities, please see our country pages for more information.

If you're from the United States, you may be eligible for a federal direct loan from the US Department of Education.

There are a range of scholarships and funding opportunities available to give you a helping hand if you choose to study abroad. Find out what's available to you.

The best option when financing your studies is a government-funded student loan, but if that isn’t enough to cover all your expenses, or you’re not eligible for government support, Future Finance offer loans to UK, EU and international students with a UK domiciled address. They offer amounts from £2,000 - £40,000 to cover both tuition and living costs.

Information about charities and trusts that offer awards and sponsorship to students and their application procedures can be found in the Educational Grants Directory and The Grants Register. Copies of these are available in our Albert Sloman Library, as well as in most public libraries.

You can also try a grants search at Turn2us. Use the keyword "higher education" and then narrow your search by filling in other information about yourself.

Many charities and trusts are only able to award a small number of grants each year, so competition can be fierce. To be in with the best chance of receiving an award it is a good idea to:

• research charities and trusts carefully as they may have eligibility requirements (e.g. based on your area of residence, family background and subject area)
• apply as soon as possible (many give deadlines for applications)

Funding for Acting and Drama courses can be limited and competition for grants is fierce, but it’s worth looking at the sources of funding above as well as these, which are aimed specifically at students in your field:

• The Society for Theatre Research
• The South Square Trust
• The Costume Society
• Minnie Morgan’s Scholarship – Open to those under 25 who attended secondary school in Llanelli.
  To apply write to:
  Director of Resources
  Carmarthenshire County Council
  County Hall
  Carmarthen
  Dyfed
  SA31 1JP

For ideas of how to secure additional funding take a look at Damian Gaskin’s booklet ‘How to Raise £40,000 and train at Drama School’ (.pdf). (The author has asked you to bear in mind that this was written in 1996, well before all the fundraising advances that the internet and social media have given you and so needs to be read in that context. Please do not contact the author himself for sponsorship!)

You can also take a look at Degrees For Free which has some useful and interesting ideas for fundraising and money-saving. (There is a book of the same name, but don’t feel compelled to buy it, the website is useful in its own right!)

We provide information for parents, carers and care leavers, including additional sources of funding that you may be eligible for.

• Students with children
• Carers
• Care leavers

We and the Students' Union offer financial support if you are experiencing difficulty with your finances in the form of a bursaries, grants or loans depending on your situation. Have a look on our Financial Support page for more information.