What Do I Need to know?
There are a lot of choices out there for you to pick from when deciding on higher education! In fact, there are 395 different providers offering over 50000 different courses. In this handy guide, we’ll be running step by step through some useful information to help you make an informed decision.
Meet our current students
This page has been prepared by our Student Ambassador Amy. Amy is studying Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey and is in her third year. We asked Amy some questions:
How did you get to university?
I did A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and History before coming to university. I ended up taking a gap year in which I resat my Chemistry Alevel, to get a better grade, and did a bit of travelling!
What is your favourite part of your degree?
I love that my degree allows me to really make a difference in the lives of animals and their people. At Surrey, we get hands-on from day one which is really fun and a great way to learn. We also have clinical placements which really gets you feeling like part of a working veterinary team.
university information
When it comes to deciding which university to go to, there is lots of choices out there. Find out about different aspects of higher education below.
395
undergraduate providers in the uk available
50000
Undergraduate courses approximately available
9250
(£) is the current maximum price per year for an undergraduate course
Higher education jargon
Here are some words you might hear a lot of when talking about higher education. This is a quick guide to their definitions.
The place where all the buildings of the university are located.
How subjects are grouped together, often based on similarity. For example, Chemistry and Physics.
This is how most of the learning at university is done! An expert in the subject delivers a presentation to your whole class at once. The biggest lecture theatre at the University of Surrey fits 430 people!
Another way of learning at university. These are small group discussions about problem solving and sharing ideas. There are usually about 20 people in a seminar group so it is very similar to a school lesson.
This type of learning allows you to talk about your studies, with your professors, in a lot more detail. They are very small groups of usually 4 to 10 people.
A club where you can enjoy your interests with other people. For example, Judo society or Gospel Choir society.
How students are represented within the university. They are run by elected students and can help form rules from how the university is run.
The organisation that handles university applications!
You apply through them to the university you wish to study at.
This is how much the university charges to run your degree course.
Money lent to you to pay for your course costs. Once you are working you will start paying this back.
Money lent to you to help pay for your living costs. For example, paying for the rent, bills, clothes and food.
Money that you’re awarded based on your achievements at school or college or personal circumstances.
Money that is awarded to you based on competition results from your achievements at school or through personal circumstances.
This is money given to you that you don’t pay to pay back.
Open Days
These are the best way of getting a feel for a university! Open days are great fun and very informative as you find out first hand what studying at that university would be like. This will help you decide on your final choice and feel confident that you have picked the right one for you.
Check out our partners open days here:
Information regarding the ACM open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the Brooklands College open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the 3 Activate Learning Colleges open days in Surrey are available:
Farnham College
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the NESCOT open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the Royal Holloway, University of London open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding FCOT / University Centre Farnborough’s open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the University for the Creative Arts open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the University of Law open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Information regarding the University of Surrey open days are available here
Please remember to register.
Student finance
There are a lot of myths about student finance – read on to find out what the truth really is.
How Much Loan Am I Entitled To?
If you are a UK student, you are eligible for 2 different loans to help you study at university.
The first is a Tuition Fee Loan, this covers the cost of studying and is paid directly to the university you are a student at.
The second is a Maintenance Loan, which covers the cost of your living expenses (food, rent, bills; etc.) How much Maintenance Loan you receive is based on how much your household income is.
Use the slider to display your household income and show an estimate* of how much Maintenance Loan you could be entitled to.
Household Income
£0
living away from home and studying in London
living away from home and NOT studying in London
living at home
*The above estimates are based on a student starting university in September 2021 and studying a three-year course with no additional needs. For the most up to date information about Student Finance, including what you may be eligible for if you have dependents, are studying a four-year course, or are living independently search The Student Loans Company or visit gov.uk/student-finance
How Much Will I Pay Back?
Before you even start paying your student loan back you need to be earning £25,725. If your income drops below that amount then the repayments stop – this means that you won’t be left struggling for money because of your student loan.
Currently, you pay back 9% of anything you earn over £25,725. This payment happens automatically unless you are self-employed, in which case you would have to calculate your loan repayment during your annual self-assessment. After 30 years, any debt you have leftover is written off meaning the repayments stop and the loan is not passed on to anyone else.
Use the slider to see an estimate* for how repayments may vary depending on yearly incomes.
Yearly Annual Income
£16,000
Your gross monthly income will be
Your monthly repayment will be
*The above estimates are based current figures available from The Student Loans Company as of February 2021. To find out more information about student loans repayment terms, including the most up to date information, search The Student Loans Company or visit slc.co.uk.
additional support
There may also be additional support available to you, for example:
- Disabled Students’ Allowance – to help pay for extra costs a student might have as a direct result of their disability, including a mental health condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia
- Adult Dependants’ Grant – to help if a student has an adult who depends on them financially.
- Childcare Grant – to help with childcare costs for dependents.
- Parents’ Learning Allowance – to help with course-related costs for students with dependent children.
