Fee Grants | Student Loans | How to Pay

England

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Unfortunately, the products and services described on this page are not available to students resident in England.

The Part-Time Fee Grant is means-tested and non-repayable. If you’re studying 60 credits a year, the maximum fee grant is £820. If you're studying modules totalling 90 or 120 credits a year, it could be worth as much as £1,230.

A full award is made if your household income is below £16,843 or if you’re receiving a qualifying benefit, but you may still receive some support if you have a household income of up to £25,420.

You can apply for a fee grant each academic year for any qualifying modules you study until you reach the maximum award. If you started your module up to nine months ago, you may still be able to apply.

Part-Time Fee Grants are issued directly to The Open University, and because they are grants rather than a loans, they don’t need to be paid back.

To be eligible for a Part-Time Fee Grant, you must be able to complete your course within no more than twice the time it would take a full-time student to complete the same course.

If you're not eligible for a Part-Time Fee Grant or if your Part-Time Fee Grant does not cover the total cost of your tuition fees, you can pay in full or meet any shortfall by using an alternative payment method, such as a Part-Time Tuition Fee Loan.

Loans are:

The interest rate will be based on the RPI (Retail Price Index).

However, as the amount you pay back is based on how much you earn and not how much you owe, the amount of interest added to your loan won’t ever affect the amount you pay each month.

You'll be charged interest on the loan from the point the first payment is made to us for your fees.

When you apply for a Tuition Fee Grant, you’ll be assessed to see whether you’re also eligible for a Course Grant. The Course Grant is intended to help with course-related costs, such as a computer, internet access, stationery or travel to tutorials. The Course Grant is offered up to a maximum of £265. Eligibility for fee and course grants is means-tested, which means it’s based on your household income. You might also be eligible if you’re receiving benefits.

If you started your module up to nine months ago, you might still be able to apply for support.

You can receive only one Course Grant per academic year, and as it's a grant rather than a loan, it doesn't need to be repaid.

First, register with us for the qualification you’d like to study.

Next, choose your modules and tell us you’ll be applying for a grant and/or a loan.

Then, online via Student Finance Northern Ireland, apply for a Part-Time Fee Grant and/or Part-Time Tuition Fee Loan starting in the 2025/26 academic year. You’ll need to give details about your income, proof of residency, and identity. It’ll help to have your passport details and National Insurance number on hand.

Once you’ve completed your application, you’ll get a Customer Reference Number (CRN), which you’ll need to give us so we can track the status of your finance. You’ll also need to print or download the Course Intensity Confirmation form and email it to us.

Student Finance Northern Ireland can take 6–8 weeks to process applications, so we strongly recommend applying as soon as possible to secure funding before your module starts.

We’ve provided more detail on the application process in our step-by-step guide to applying for grants and loans.

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