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Thank you for your interest in Medicine MBBS (4 year graduate entry) at St George’s, University of London. We hope that the following information will assist in your planning for the course by clarifying the financial support available.

A note for EU students commencing study after August 2021

EU, EEA and Swiss national students who are starting their studies in the UK after August 2021 should be aware that there are important changes to the national tuition fee regulations and student finance eligibility criteria. Many EU students will no longer be eligible for home fee status or student finance, although there will be some exceptions.

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/studying-in-the-uk-guidance-for-eu-students for further details.

All EU, EEA and Swiss national students who are considering starting a course in academic year 2023/24 are advised to check their eligibility with Student Finance England as soon as possible. 

Funding guide

Most of the information in this guide relates to students from England studying in the UK. Different rules apply if you normally live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Please contact the relevant organisation:

Northern Ireland: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk, Scotland: www.saas.gov.uk, Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.

The information contained in this guide is based on the arrangements in place at the time of writing. Please check with the relevant funding organisation(s) for up to date details when making your application.

For year 1 you will need to make one application to Student Finance England to be assessed for your maintenance loan and partial tuition fee loan.

Apply for student finance online at www.gov.uk/studentfinance.

Apply by the recommended date advertised online (usually in May) in order for Student Finance England to assess your application before the start of the autumn term

Please ensure that you answer ‘no’ to the question on the student finance application that asks if your programme is an ‘accelerated degree course’ as this does not apply to graduate entry Medicine.

When making your 2023/24 application for student finance, include your first choice of course and university on the application. If your course or university changes at a later date, you then just need to log into your student finance account as soon as possible (and before you start the course) to amend the details.

For additional information about the funding available from Student Finance England, please also see www.gov.uk/student-finance.

For years 2, 3 and 4 of the MBBS (4-year graduate entry) course you will need to make one application to NHS Student Bursaries and one application to Student Finance England each academic year.

Tuition fees

Home: £9,250 for academic year 2023/24.

Students with tuition fee sponsors

If your tuition fees are to be paid by an external sponsor, such as the Army, Enhanced Learning Credits or an overseas Government, please email evidence of this to studentfinance@sgul.ac.uk after you have attended the enrolment session. You will need to supply this evidence to St George’s at the beginning of every academic year.

Year 1

Home students are required to self-fund the first £3,465*. For the remaining £5,785*, these students have the option of applying for a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance England (SFE). Eligible students’ Tuition Fee Loan will be paid directly to the University.

Years 2, 3 and 4

In years 2, 3 and 4 home students can apply to NHS Student Bursaries for a Tuition Fee Grant of £3,715*. For the remaining £5,535* these students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance England.

*Please note that these figures are based on the arrangements in place at the time of writing and may be subject to change.

More information can be found at:

Please note that payment of NHS support is not automatic and students must make an application to NHS Student Bursaries for each academic year it is required.

For each NHS-funded year students need to provide a screenshot of their confirmed NHS bursary award (located under the ‘Payment’ tab of the NHS bursary online account) by email to studentfinance@sgul.ac.uk. This should be provided in PDF format as soon as it becomes available and no later than 30th October of the relevant academic year.

All students and years of study

Students are expected to have their finances arranged in advance of joining their programme and should make themselves familiar with the St George’s Tuition Fee Policy. Those students paying their own tuition fees must ensure that they make payment in adherence to the St George’s Tuition Fee Policy.

Tuition fee payment can be made online at https://epay.sgul.ac.uk/fees/ (students) or https://epay.sgul.ac.uk/open (parents or sponsors). If you have any questions about making a tuition fee payment to the University please contact our Accounts Receivable team at acco-rec@sgul.ac.uk.

Please note that tuition fees are liable to increase each academic year.

Home tuition fees will increase in line with Government thresholds.

International tuition fees are determined by various factors including any significant changes to the course and the rate of inflation at the time of consideration. Tuition fees will not normally increase by more than 5% each year, except when the underlying rate of inflation is significantly higher than that.

Maintenance Loan

Maintenance Loans can help pay for the living costs associated with taking a Higher Education course. They are paid directly to the student in three termly instalments.

You need to make an application for student finance for every year you require the financial support. Even if you do not wish to apply for a Maintenance Loan for the first year of your course, you still have the option of applying for this for the second or later year(s). Please note that a reduced rate maintenance loan is available for NHS-funded years.

Year 1

A proportion of the Maintenance Loan is assessed based on the household income. Eligible students with a household income of £25,000 or less will receive the maximum Maintenance Loan. Those with a household income of £25,001 or more can use the Student Finance Calculator at https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator to get an estimate of their entitlement.

Maximum Maintenance Loan rates for new students in 2023/24:
 Living with parentsLiving away from home (in London)
Maximum Maintenance Loan £8,400 £13,022
Non-income assessed proportion £3,698 £6,485
Income assessed proportion £4,702 £6,537

Please note that these figures are based on a standard length 2023/24 academic year and are for indicative purposes only. Student Finance England will confirm your exact entitlement in writing once they have completed your assessment.

When making your application to Student Finance England please indicate that you will be at University/College for all three terms of Year 1 (do not indicate 'Placement'). This will ensure that you are assessed for the correct rate of maintenance loan.

Additional support from Student Finance England

Students who are eligible for benefits

Depending on the household income, students who are eligible for benefits (for example; some student parents and students with disabilities or long-term health conditions) may be entitled to a higher rate of Maintenance Loan. The maximum rates for 2023/24 are up to £9,910 if living in the parental home, or up to £14,202 if living outside the parental home, in London.

Grants for dependants

If applicable, students can apply for a Parents’ Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant or Adult Dependants Grant. These supplementary grants are all income assessed, so the household income will affect eligibility and entitlement. More details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/extra-help.

Disabled Students’ Allowance

Students with a disability, long term health condition, mental health condition, or specific learning difference (for example; dyslexia) can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance. This additional support is non-income assessed, so the household income will not affect eligibility or entitlement. More details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa.

Years 2, 3 and 4

Home (UK) students can apply for a non-income assessed reduced rate Maintenance Loan from Student Finance England (this is because for these years you can also apply to the NHS for a bursary for living costs and any applicable supplementary grants – more details below).

NHS Student Bursary – years 2, 3 and 4

English and Welsh students

From the 2nd year of study students apply to NHS Student Bursaries (or NHS Wales Student Awards Services, for those students who usually reside in Wales) for an income assessed bursary and a non-income assessed grant of £1,000*. The bursary and grant are paid together directly to the student in three termly instalments.

*This figure is based on the arrangements in place at the time of writing and may be subject to change.

If applicable, you can also apply for Dependants Allowance, Parent Learning Allowance, Childcare Allowance and Disabled Students’ Allowance from NHS Student Bursaries. These supplementary grants are income assessed (with the exception of Disabled Students’ Allowance).

NHS Student Bursaries also offer assistance with Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses relating to clinical placements and they have a hardship grant for NHS bursary-funded students who are experiencing financial difficulty.

Further details can be found at:

We strongly advise that you check with NHS Student Bursaries about whether you will be assessed as a ‘dependent’ or ‘independent’ student (and, therefore, what income details will be used in the assessment) well before the start of the course.

For each NHS-funded year students need to provide a screenshot of their confirmed NHS bursary award (located under the ‘Payment’ tab of the NHS bursary online account) by email to studentfinance@sgul.ac.uk. This should be provided in PDF format as soon as it becomes available and no later than 30th October of the relevant academic year.

For NHS bursary funded years, eligible students can also apply for a non-income assessed reduced rate Maintenance Loan from Student Finance England. Current rates are:

  • Living outside the parental home in London: £3,658 (full year) and £2,800 (final year)
  • Living in the parental home: £1,955 (full year) and £1,483 (final year).

Other sources of funding

All students

We encourage you to contact charities and other funding organisations to seek out potential alternative options for financial support. Examples of websites that include details of such organisations include:

St George’s Access to Learning Fund

The St George’s Access to Learning Fund (ALF) provides discretionary financial assistance to Undergraduate and Postgraduate home (UK) students experiencing financial hardship.

Applications can be accepted from fully registered and enrolled home students (students cannot apply before commencing the course). Those students who need financial help to meet essential costs that cannot be met from other sources of support, and those who may be considering leaving Higher Education because of financial problems are particularly encouraged to apply. The ALF can also help to alleviate unexpected financial hardship.

Financial assistance from the ALF is usually non-repayable, however interest-free emergency short term loans may also be available. Please note that the ALF cannot help with paying for tuition fees. Students must be in receipt of all government funding available to them before applying to the ALF.

St George’s EU & International Hardship Fund

St George’s has funding available for full-time Undergraduate and Postgraduate EU and International students who experience financial hardship due to unexpected circumstances which are beyond their control.

Applications can be accepted from fully registered and enrolled students (students cannot apply before commencing the course).

Financial assistance from the EU & International Hardship Fund is usually non-repayable, however interest-free emergency short term loans may also be available. Please note that the Fund cannot help with paying for tuition fees. In order to apply, students need to be able to demonstrate that they had secured sufficient funding to study and live in the UK prior to commencing the course, and that the financial hardship experienced is due to unexpected events.

Budgeting and advice

Whether you are living away from home for the first time, returning to study, or juggling university with family life, it can be easy to find yourself spending more than you have coming in. It is really important to plan your finances and budget carefully before and during the course in order to maximise the money available to you and ensure that you do not run out of funds mid-term. We have put together some tips below to help get you started.

Before starting your course:

  • Use the Student Finance Calculator at https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator to work out how much student finance you will be entitled to.
  • Put together a budget plan at https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-budgeting-planner/.
  • Save as much as possible.
  • Look for part-time work. Whilst part-time work should not be given priority over your studies, it can provide a welcome break from studying as well as supplementing your income. If working and studying during term-time is not an option, you may wish to consider working during your holiday periods.

Once you have started your course:

  • Share the cooking - whether you live in halls or in a shared house, it is cheaper to cook together in a group, and bringing in a packed lunch will save you money. Supermarkets are often the cheapest place to go for your weekly shop. Tooting also has a large fruit and vegetable market which is well worth a visit.
  • If you are living in private rented accommodation, contact the Student Life Centre once you are fully registered and enrolled to request a Council Tax exemption letter to submit to the Local Authority.
  • Shop around for the best mobile phone deals.
  • Apply for the 18+ Student Oyster Card at https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/18-plus-student-oyster-photocard . You will need your 7 digit St George’s student number to apply. The online TfL application will need to be approved by the University after you are fully registered and enrolled on the course.
  • Apply for a 16-25 Railcard at http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/. Full time students aged over 25 can also apply for this.
  • Use www.saynoto0870.com to search for local rate numbers. You can avoid calling premium rate numbers for many national companies by using this website.
  • Visit www.moneysavingexpert.com/students for some useful tips on how to make your student funding stretch that bit further.

Student Finance Advice

We hope that this information is helpful and clarifies all the funding available. If you have any questions about funding for the course, or about any other financial matters, please do not hesitate to contact us at studentfinance@sgul.ac.uk.

The information contained in this page relates to 2023/24 entry and is correct at the time of writing.

St George’s, University of London makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all published information, however it cannot accept any responsibility for omissions, errors or subsequent changes that may occur.

This document is a general guide, and there may be changes following publication that affect its contents.

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