Funding your studies

Planning to meet the costs of attending university is an investment in the future and there are a number of options you should consider when planning to fund your studies, including:

• education loans
• scholarships
• family
• savings
• part-time work

When planning your finances you need to think about your costs as a student in the UK, these can include:

• tuition fees
• books and other course related costs
• accommodation
• daily living costs
• travel - local and home to the USA
• social aspects of living in the UK
• contingency funds for the unexpected

Our Money Advice Team are always on hand to help you with information about the cost of living in the UK and student budget guides, bank accounts and individual advice and support should you need it.

Types of education loans

US Government Title IV Direct Loans

Information provided by the US Government about your US loans and COVID-19 can be found on StudentAid.gov.

The US Department of Education has produced some helpful video guides about the types of loans that are available including eligibility, guidance on responsible borrowing and repayments, along with their own Facebook page.

Before you apply for a loan, you should think about whether you can afford to make the repayments. StudentAid has a repayment estimator to help you plan your education loans and repayment options.

You can find out about estimated salaries by occupation in the USA from the US Department of Labour.

Title IV Direct Loans

There are three types of loans available:

• Direct Subsidised loans
• Direct Unsubsidised loans
• Direct PLUS loans (Graduate or Parent PLUS)

Loan interest rates are determined for new loans in June each year. These new rates apply to the upcoming award year, which runs from 1 July to the following 30 June. Federal loans have a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan as well as income-based repayment plans.

The StudentAid website has comprehensive information about:

• loan types
• borrowing loan limits
• interest rates
• right to cancel
• repayment options
• consolidating your loans
• understanding default

Read our comprehensive guide about eligibility for Title IV loans and how to apply.

Private loans from Sallie Mae

Information provided by the Sallie Mae and COVID-19 can be found on SallieMae.com.

Private loans are offered by banks, not the government, and typically do not offer the same benefits as Title IV loans, like fixed interest rates or income-based repayment plans. Private loans can generally be more expensive and you should research whether these loans suit your borrowing needs and your longer term repayment options. StudentAid has more information about the differences between federal and private loans.

Find out more information about eligibility for a Sallie Mae loan and how to apply.

Apply for Sallie Mae loans.

US Military veteran funding

The University is currently unable to process US Military veteran funding beneifits.

You may also be eligible to apply for funding via the Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards. This is a post-service benefit earned by individuals who complete a term of national service in approved AmeriCorps programs.

Find out more about AmeriCorps funding.

529 College Savings Plans

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to encourage saving for future college costs. Legally known as ‘Qualified Tuition Plans’, they are sponsored by States and are authorised by section 529 of the IRS code.

There are 2 types of 529 Plans: Pre-paid tuition plans and College Savings Plans.

Contributions are not tax deductible but the plan earnings are not subject to income tax.

For further information on 529 Plans, see the links below.

• An introduction to 529 Plans
• IRS and 529 Plans
• Save for College.com (note this is a commercial site)

University scholarships and other funding

Find out more about our scholarships and bursaries for undergraduate or postgraduate taught students or for doctoral research studies at Bath.

Prodigy finance loans - Bath MBA

Prodigy finance loans - Bath MBA

Prodigy Finance offer alumni-funded loans to students at the world’s top business schools, including University of Bath. Loans are available to students who are accepted into the full-time MBA programme (not the MBA executive route).

Find out more about Prodigy finance loans and how to apply.

Prodigy Finance is one of many providers of finance. You are strongly advised to undertake your own due diligence and to check all terms and conditions before entering into any agreement with a loan or scholarship provider

Declaration: An entity connected to the University of Bath School of Management is an investor in MBA Community Loans PLC, which provides the finance to fund the Prodigy Finance Loan Scheme. The University of Bath School of Management may therefore benefit from any lending under the scheme.