Funding, Finance and Bursaries

As a student at University Centre South Devon (UCSD) you may qualify for a range of financial support options to help support you with your studies. You can apply for a student loan to help pay tuition fees and a Maintenance Loan to help with living expenses.

UCSD also offers a cash bursary of up to £1000 to help you with the costs associated with studying a degree. If you need further assistance, please email: [email protected]

Information on this page is for students undertaking either a full or part-time higher education programme, with the exception of students undertaking a Higher or Degree Apprenticeship, or repeating students. Information on Higher and Degree Apprenticeships can be found here.

Tuition Fees

You’ll never be expected to pay for your tuition immediately. Instead, your tuition is covered by a fee loan, which is paid directly to University Centre South Devon on your behalf by Student Finance England.

Our tuition fees for full-time and part-time students are:
• BA and BSc (Hons) – £9000 (per year)
• Foundation Degree (FdA and FdSc) – £8825 (per year) and £9250 for some Health Profession programmes
• Higher National Certificate (HNC)- £8825 (per year)

The tuition fees for part-time courses are calculated at a pro-rate basis of our full-time fee, £1500 per 20 credits.

Please note there are different fees for international students; email [email protected] for more information.

Financial Support

As a full-time or part-time undergraduate student, you are able to apply for a Government Maintenance Loan to help with the costs. This loan is to help you with your living costs such as food, accommodation, and travel. The amount you can borrow depends on where you live and study and your household income.

Information on eligibility and how to apply is available via the Student Finance England website here.

You can also get a quick estimate of what financial support you might be able to get using the Student finance calculator.

Repayments

You will not repay your student finance loan until you earn more than £25,000 per year. If you are earning less than this you will not need to pay anything. Repayments begin in the April after you graduate, but only if you meet the financial criteria. Further information is available here.

Bursary Packages

We are committed to supporting eligible students through a range of bursary packages, which are paid in instalments. Bursaries do not need to be repaid and are awarded in addition to any funding received from Student Finance England.

Please note: bursary packages will only be paid once per academic stage and are only for those students eligible for Student Finance England.

If you wish to discuss your eligibility, please contact the HE Team via email at [email protected] or phone on 08000 213181.

Our current bursary packages are:

  • £200 Bursary (Level 4 students only)

A £200 bursary is available to all full-time and part-time first year university students.

  • South Devon College Bursary

The South Devon College bursary entitles you to a £1000 bursary package which includes the £200 bursary for all full-time/part-time, first-year university students*. To be eligible for this package, you must have studied at South Devon College within the last 3 academic years. This can be any course, whether it’s Access to Higher Education, A Levels, or diploma qualification.

*students repeating modules are not eligible for this bursary

  • Devon Development Bursary

The Devon Development Bursary entitles you to a £1000 bursary package which includes a £200 bursary that all full-time and part-time, first-year university students are awarded. To be eligible for this package, you must currently be progressing to University Centre South Devon from a sixth form within Devon.

  • Care Leavers Bursary (Level 4 students only)

The Care Leavers Bursary entitles you to a £1000 bursary package which includes the £200 bursary that all full-time/part-time, first-year university students. To be eligible for this package, you must be a care leaver.

  • Outreach Bursary (Level 4 students only)

The Outreach bursary entitles you to a £1000 bursary package which includes the £200 bursary for all full-time/part-time, first-year university students. To be eligible for this package, you must have a household income of under £25,000.

  • Progress in Study Bursary (Level 5 students only)

The Progress in Study bursary entitles you to a £400 bursary package. To be eligible for this package, you must have a household income of under £25,000.

  • Next Steps Bursary (Level 6 students only)

The Next Steps bursary entitles you to a £1000 bursary package. To be eligible for this package, you must have a household income of under £25,000.

Please note: eligible students can only receive one bursary type per academic year of study.

How do I apply for a bursary package?

To receive one of these packages, you will need to:
• Apply to study for your degree at University Centre South Devon via UCAS
• Accept your offer from University Centre South Devon and complete the enrolment process
• Instructions on how to complete an application for a bursary will be emailed to you once you have completed your enrolment in September

Travel Support

As a UCSD student, you will be eligible to apply for the exclusive discounted bus pass offer with Stagecoach which offers 24/7 unlimited travel. Depending on your location, you will be eligible for a Dayrider or Explorer, giving you the independence and freedom to study, work, socialise, and explore! 

Click here for more information!

UCSD Hardship Fund

The UCSD Hardship Fund provides discretionary financial assistance for students who are experiencing financial difficulty due to a change in their financial circumstances whilst enrolled on their HE Programme. Full details and information on how to apply are available on our dedicated webpage.

Making the most of your money

To learn more about managing your money whilst being a student go to our dedicated webpage on Making the most of your money.

Need further advice?

For further information on financial support available to UCSD students, contact the Higher Education Team on 08000 213181 or email [email protected].