UK Student Loans for Irish attending University in England

Tuition Fee Loans for Students from Ireland attending University in England


If you are an Irish student starting a degree (undergraduate) course in England in 2022 –  you can still apply for a Tuition Fee Loan in England to help you pay for your course.
Brexit has not changed this.

The rights of Irish residents to study and access benefits in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement.

Irish residents can also apply for tuition fee loans for  Master’s Degree courses in England.
Maintenance loans from the UK are not available for Irish students.

Unlike the UK- there are no government-backed long term student loans available in Ireland . Most people that study in Ireland that need a student loan usually get it from a bank.



More Details Here


Irish Student Maintenance Grants

Whilst there are UK student loans available for Irish attending University in England – these only cover tuition fees
However, it is also possible for Irish students attending a University course in the UK to make an application for a Maintenance Grant in Ireland.
Applicants attending an undergraduate course outside the Republic of Ireland but within the EU/UK are eligible to receive a maintenance grant . There are no grants for UK tuition costs.

More here about applying for Student Grants in Ireland.

Student Universal Support Ireland deal with grant applications

Grants are available to eligible students attending most colleges in Ireland as well as Irish students attending most colleges in Northern Ireland, the UK and the other EU States.


How much of a UK student loan can you get ?  (2022 figures)

Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan is paid directly to them. You will have to pay it back.

You can get up to £9,250 a year UK Tuition Fee Loan in 2022 – if you study full-time at a public university or college in England.

Guide to Sending Money From Ireland to the UK


Irish Students – Eligibility for Tuition Fee Loans in England

1 You may be eligible for a student tuition fee loan if you’ve been living in Ireland and/or the UK for the past three years and have Irish citizenship.

2 You will not normally be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan if you already hold a qualification equal to or higher than the one you are studying for.

3 If you have already had a loan for part of a course that you didn’t complete you may only be able to get another loan for the number of years of your new course, plus one additional year, less the number of years you have already had funding for.

4. The university or college you plan to study at must be in England.

5 The course must lead to  one of the following:
• first degree, eg BA, BSc or BEd
• Foundation Degree
• Certificate of Higher Education
• Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
• Higher National Certificate (HNC)
•  Higher National Diploma (HND)
• Postgraduate Certificate of  Initial Teacher Training (ITT)  or Education (PGCE)

If you are studying at a private university or college you should check with them that your course qualifies for student finance.

You can apply at www.gov.uk/studentfinance


Repaying a UK Student Loan

Any repayments of UK student loans are based on your income, NOT on the amount you were lent.
The repayments are calculated as 9% of everything you earn above a threshold,which can change each year.

Example –

You’re paid weekly and your income changes each week. This week your income was £613, which is £89 over the weekly threshold of £524. You will need to pay back £8 (9% of £89) this week.

You won’t have to start making repayments until at least the April after you finish your course. Repayments won’t begin until your income is over the threshold.

Any loan still outstanding after 30 years will be written off.

You can find out more about repaying your loan in the UK and overseas at
Student loan repayment

If you are moving to the UK for study – you should read our page on Opening a UK Bank Account