[Owen]

Apology by SLC and be on the ball!

After the Student Loan Company apologised to students this year who struggled with funding uni life whilst they fumbled with simple data, there are reports in the news recently it may happen all over again. So the best advice I can give you (after being one of the many affected last year) is apply for your student loan ASAP otherwise you're further down the pile and more likely to have payment delayed.

Deadlines and when should you apply?

Non-means tested: 23rd April 2010

Income assessed: 21st May 2010

Whilst these are 'deadlines' you can still apply after these dates, but may suffer from delays in receiving your first payment in September.

Student Loan for Tuition Fees - Rates for 2010/2011

New students and students who enrolled after September 2006:

The student loan will cover the full tuition fees, up to £3,290 for 2010/2011.

Student Loan for Maintenance - Rates

The basic student loan is £4,840 for Manchester students and every university apart from those in London, where the maximum available is £6,780. 25% of the loan is means-tested.