Who can get a grant?
For every pound of grant you get, your loan is reduced by a pound accordingly, up to the first £1,200. So if you get a £600 grant, your loan will be £600 lower than if you got no grant. The loan won’t be reduced by more than £1,200, however, even if you get a grant that’s bigger than that. So, if you get a £1,195 grant, the loan would be reduced by £1,195. If you get a £1,200 grant, the loan will be reduced by £1,200. But if you get at £1,205 grant, or a £1,300 grant, or even a £2,300 or £2,835 grant, the loan will still only be reduced by £1,200.
Whichever way you look at it, getting a grant won’t stop you from getting the same amount as your full loan entitlement. Depending on the size of your grant, you may end up getting more. And as the grant part of it won’t have to be repaid, ever, you’re on to a winner.
There’s a handy calculator at www.studentsupportdirect.co.uk – put in your details and it’ll give you an idea of how much grant and loan you’ll be able to grab hold of.
There’s one exception – just to prove the rule. The special support grant (like the maintenance grant, but for some students with kids or disabilities) doesn’t affect how much loan you get.
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Last updated on: 14 August 2008