With the endless media coverage, riots, political debate and constant discussion about the rise in tuition fees, it is hard not to feel confused about what you will paying, when you will be paying it, and how much this will affect you both now, and in the future.
The Student Finance Taskforce was launched in June 2011 to help future students and parents in England tackle the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the recent changes to student finance. It is headed by Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExpert.com, deputised by Wes Streeting, NUS President 2008-2010, and made up of groups including Universities UK, the NUS and UCAS. The have created a comprehensive guide about student finance which includes a number of useful resources to help you to find out everything you need to know.
If you are going to be heading to university in 2012, or if you are currently trying to decide if financially it is the right choice for you and want to know a little more about the costs, then you have come to the right place. We have a selection of articles, videos and even a finance calculator that will help you to gain a clearer idea of what you will get, when you wil get it and how much you will pay back.
The best place to start it to understand all the basics regarding the changes to student finance. Martin Lewis has put together 18 facts everyone should know about higher education in 2012.
And to make it even easier, take a look at this myth busting animation by Bournemouth University, it will help you to understand all the changes:
If you still feel like you have some unanswered questions, the video below features Martin explaining the tuition fee changes and answering questions at an event at UCL:
You can also take a look into the future using MoneySavingExpert.com’s repayment calculator. You can change the variables such as tuition fee level, maintenance loan level and likely starting salary, and get an idea of what you’ll be paying back and for how long. If you play about with different amounts, you can see how much you can earn before you’re likely to pay back the full loan. You can also use the Student Calculator, powered by Brightside, it helps you to budget whilst your at Uni so you know how much money you need from one week to the next.
Keep an eye on this page over the next few weeks for even more top tips and guides to everything student finance.
