Money After University

When you leave university, your finances will change significantly.

The information below gives an outline of banking, tax, student loan repayments and other issues that you might need to know about.

We can offer graduates and leavers advice on matters relating to their time as a student. We are open all summer.

For advice on non-student matters you can contact a local advice agency in your area, for example or use their .

Repaying student loans

Loan repayments normally start in the April after graduation or leaving your course i.e. April 2025 for Undergraduates finishing in June 2024 or for Postgraduates finishing in September 2024 /January 2025.

If you are working, repayments are collected from your salary through the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) scheme. This should happen automatically but check your pay slips.

If you are abroad, self-employed or have significant unearned income then you should to arrange payment with Student Loans Company (SLC) by direct debit. For self-employment the amount you pay will be calculated based on your HMRC self-assessment form. You will need to inform HMRC that you are self-employed.

If you are in a position to repay part or your entire loan early the will accept ‘one-off’ payments to your loan account. It is wise to consider whether this is worthwhile. If you have other debts with higher interest rates, then it makes sense to repay those first. Once paid, it is not possible to request a ‘one-off’ payment is refunded to you.

There is no penalty or additional charge for repaying early. The website offers advice on whether it is worth repaying early.

There are different repayment thresholds depending on when you started your course and whether you were funded as an English, Welsh, Northern Irish or Scottish resident. There is more information at

How much will you pay back?

You will find below full details of the different plans their repayment thresholds and interest rates.

Plan 1

Students funded by Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales who started prior to 2012 are on plan 1.

Students funded by Student Finance Northern Ireland (and Student Awards Agency Scotland for repayments prior to 2021) repay under regardless of start date and level of study (undergraduate or postgraduate).

The repayment threshold for Plan 1 loans is £24990/year from April 2024.

Plan 2

Undergraduate Students funded by Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales who started in 2012 or later (but before 2023 for England) will repay at a rate of 9% of any income over £27,295 The repayment threshold has been frozen and will not be subject to annual increases for the next few years.

No repayments are due if your gross income is less than £27,295 per year. Certain disability benefits and any unearned income of less than £2,000 are disregarded for these purposes. Unearned income includes income from investments, renting out property, interest on savings. Your salary or wages are earned income.

More details about Income Contingent Student Loan.

ANNUAL INCOME BEFORE TAX

MONTHLY SALARY

MONTHLY REPAYMENT

Up to £27,295

£2,274

£0

£28,295

£2,358

£7.50

£31,295

£2,608

£30.00

£36,295

£3,024

£67.50

£41,295

£3,441

£105.00

 

Plan 4

Any Scottish student who started a degree in the UK on or after 1st September 1998 was moved from Plan 1 to Plan 4 in April 2021.  Plan 4 also applies to Scottish postgraduate loans. More detailed information on repaying Plan 4 loans can be found on the .

Repayments on Postgraduate Masters and Doctoral Loans

Repayments of postgraduate Masters and Doctoral Loans are calculated based on 6% of your income over the annual threshold of £21,000 or a monthly salary of £1750.

There is the potential that a student could be on more than one plan, repaying undergraduate and postgraduate funding together. Further details on how this works can be found on the and the website.

What if you move abroad?

If you are abroad and outside the UK tax system, any repayments would have to be made direct to SLC. They require you to notify them immediately if you are planning to live abroad for 3 months or more. If you move overseas and fail to provide the information required by SLC, SLC can charge a default monthly repayment figure and may apply a penalty rate of interest, significantly above the normal amount. The repayment threshold varies according to which country you are living in. For plan 2 overseas thresholds, see .

What if you default on repayments?

If you are in arrears with loan repayments SLC will not allow you to borrow any further loans – for example: if you go on to postgraduate study and apply for a postgraduate loan.

Interest rates

Updates on thresholds and interest rates can be found online - .

Student Loan Write offs

AWARDING AUTHORITY

DATE LOAN FIRST TAKEN OUT

UNPAID AMOUNT WRITTEN OFF AFTER

Student Finance England/ Student Finance Wales

Between 01/09/2006 and 31/08/2012

25 years

Student Finance England Student Finance Wales

01/09/2012 or later

30 years

Student Awards Agency Scotland

01/09/2007 or later

30 years (before April 2021 the write-off period was 35 years)

Student Finance Northern Ireland

01/09/2006 or later

25 Years

The number of years is calculated from when you first become eligible to repay your loan. For students graduating in Summer 2024 the years will start to count from April 2025

If you took out a Maintenance Loan from Student Finance Wales anytime between the academic year 2010/11 and 2014/15 the Welsh Government could cancel up to £1,500 from your student loan balance when you start repaying.

Outstanding loans are cancelled if the borrower becomes permanently disabled or dies.

Tax and National Insurance When You Start Work

If you are starting work remember that employers quote salaries as gross income and do not account for tax, National Insurance and Student Loan deductions. Use to see how much you are likely to take home once these deductions are made.

When starting a new job make sure you take your P45 from any previous job whether full- or part-time  or ask the new employer for a ‘’from HMRC, otherwise you could be put onto an emergency tax code and have too much money deducted from your monthly salary.

If you have paid too much tax during the tax year (which runs from 6th April to 5th April each year), then you may be able to claim back tax you paid in that year. This is not automatic so check your pay slips. For straightforward tax refunds . For more detailed help visit .

Council Tax

There should not have been a Council Tax bill whilst you are a full time student and living in a hall of residence or a dwelling solely occupied by students. Once your course has ended, you may need to pay Council Tax.

If you live off campus, Council Tax is calculated on a daily basis. Any relevant change in your circumstances, such as when you move, or cease to be a student, can affect your liability. If you stay on in your student house from the end of the academic year until graduation, you will be liable to pay Council Tax for the period between the end of term and the date you leave the property. Also, Council Tax could be chargeable on your house if you live with continuing students after you have left your course.

It is also important to remember that you will be a non-student in between courses. If you complete your undergraduate degree and start a postgraduate course you will not be treated as a student over the intervening period, normally the summer vacation and will probably have to pay Council Tax.

If you are the only person liable for Council Tax in your home you should be eligible for a 25% discount. If you are on a low income and not a full-time student you might be eligible for help with your Council Tax through the benefits' system.

Benefits

Over recent years the Government has replaced a number of older benefits with Universal Credit.

If you are not immediately starting paid work you may wish to apply for Universal Credit.

Universal Credit can be claimed from the day after your course finishes. So for 2024 you may be entitled to benefits from 19th June. You can start to make an application a week or two before, as it takes some time to complete the process.

As a general rule, do not delay in making any claim for benefits. There are strict rules on how much can be backdated and in what circumstances.

For more information please see the .

Postgraduate Study

If you are planning to take a Masters course or a PhD, you need to be aware that these courses do not qualify for the same student loans and grants that are available to undergraduates.

are available to students who normally live in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for taught Postgraduate courses. The amount of loan, eligibility criteria and repayment terms vary according to the awarding body. EU students starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, must have settled or pre-settled status under the to get student finance.

Be aware - Postgraduate loans provide a contribution towards the costs of tuition and living but are rarely enough to cover the full costs of undertaking postgraduate study.

If you are a 天堂视频 student moving on to a postgraduate programme here the following resources might be helpful:

If you are starting a PhD your academic department will be able to inform you of any scholarships that may be available.

Banks and Building Societies

The special banking terms available to students (e.g. interest free overdrafts) will eventually cease after leaving university. Nevertheless, many banks have financial packages aimed at graduates offering services on preferential terms. Several banks allow you to retain a partial interest free overdraft with the interest free element of the overdraft reducing over a period of a few years. Contact your bank to find out how they can help after you have left your course. Always remember to compare interest rates and charges on graduate accounts, loans and overdrafts.

How can the University support you?

There are multiple webpages dedicated to different money matters available to give you guidance. If you require further guidance or advice you can contact the Student Advice and Support Service.

Last Updated: 30th April 2024