Funding Your Creativity: A Guide to Student Finance England

We know that a degree is a significant investment. However, OCA offers one of the most affordable paths to a creative degree today. For students in England, this journey is made even more accessible through Student Finance England (SFE).

Here is your guide to how Student Finance England works specifically for your studies at OCA.

What is a Student Finance England Tuition Fee Loan?

A Student Finance England Tuition Fee Loan is a repayable government loan that covers the direct costs of tuition fees for eligible undergraduate programmes, and the loan is paid directly to the institution on your behalf. You must pay it back, but usually only after you have left or finished your course and your income is above a certain threshold.

Are You Eligible?

The first thing to note is that when studying an undergraduate programme with OCA, you can only apply for a part-time tuition fee loan. 

To qualify for Student Finance England’s part-time tuition fee loan, you generally need to meet the following criteria:

• Your ‘course intensity’ is at least 25% (OCA undergraduate degrees meet this requirement!)
• Your home is in England and you meet the residency requirements.
• You’re doing your first higher education qualification*.

*If you stopped a previous course within the first year, you may receive funding for the same course or a new course when you go back.

View eligibility criteria in full here.

How it Works at OCA

Tuition Fee Loan

You apply once a year for funding, and Student Finance England usually awards you the total cost of a stage of study. 

However, instead of paying for a full stage of study upfront, you study and pay unit by unit. This means funding is only released to OCA as you complete registration for each individual unit on your degree programme, allowing you to spread the cost of your studies.

Your award from Student Finance England is available to use throughout your ‘Seasonal Academic Year’, which is determined by when you start your studies. 

For example, if you begin a unit of study in September 2026, your Seasonal Academic Year lasts until July 2027. 

The standard academic year runs from 1st August to 31st July. 

Because OCA offers multiple intake dates, your award can cross into different academic years. For example, if you begin your first unit of study in March 2026, your Seasonal Academic Year lasts until December 2026, crossing both 25/26 and 26/27 academic years. Once expired, you would need to apply for the latest academic year’s funding. 

Your first unit of study must align with the academic year of your funding award. For example, a 2025/26 award cannot be used to start a unit in 2026/27. If you do not begin a unit during the academic year your funding was granted, that award will expire and cannot be carried forward.

Maintenance Loan

If you’re studying via distance learning because of a disability, you may be eligible for a Student Finance England maintenance loan. You’ll need to provide evidence as part of your application. 

Maintenance Loans are also applied for yearly. 

It is worth keeping in mind that maintenance loans for part-time study are generally more modest than those for full-time students and may not cover all your living costs. Maintenance Loan amounts are reflective on how many units you study within a Seasonal Academic Year, and we can only confirm these credits as you enrol to each unit one at a time. All students beginning an undergraduate course with OCA are confirmed as studying 40 credits.

How will Life-Long Learning affect Student Finance England?

The lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will replace higher education (HE) student finance loans from January 2027. 

Students who begin their course prior to January 2027 can apply (and continue to use) Student Finance England. Any student beginning a course from January 2027 can only apply for LLE. 

If you are an existing OCA degree student, you will generally continue to use the current Student Finance system. However, there is one key exception: if you have taken a break from your studies for at least one year, or if you did not apply for funding in the 2025/26 academic year, you must apply under the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) system.

Ready to get started? Check your eligibility on the Student Finance England website today, or reach out to our team at [email protected] for guidance on taking your next creative step.