Aside from applying to university, the other big task is sorting out your funding and expenses for university. This can be confusing and potentially overwhelming – but we’ve got you covered.

Our Fees & Funding pages contains everything you need to know about your university fees, how to fund your studies and your living costs while you’re with us.

Be sure to look into whether you qualify for additional funding support – you’ll find details for each level of study on our Fees & Funding pages.

If you haven’t applied for student finance yet, don’t worry. It’s not too late, but you’ll need to do it as soon as you can. Applications can take at least six weeks to process, so you might not get your first full payment straight away, but UCAS will help to support you.

Depending where in the UK you’re from, you’ll need to find the right student finance company to apply through:

To apply, visit the government website and you’ll find all the links you need for each student finance company.

Don’t forget – the sooner you apply, the sooner you’ll receive your payment.

If you’ve already applied for a student loan, you’ll need to update your details with the student finance company you’re using once you know which course you’ll be studying.

You should have an online account where you can log in and update the details – otherwise, you can give them a call.

Now you have your finances sorted out, the next thing to organise is your accommodation. Whether you’re staying at university halls or renting privately, make sure you prioritise your rent in your budget.

For our most up-to-date accommodation prices, how to apply, and advice on finding private accommodation, visit our accommodation page.

Now that your fees are paid and your accommodation is sorted, what about living costs? We’d suggest you budget around £35 a week for food, and check out our blogs on must-buys for uni, and sorting your student budget.

The nature of the courses we offer at UCA means that, in many cases, you may have to buy materials and equipment for your projects. Because there’s a wide variation between each person’s requirements based on what kind of project they are working on, it’s difficult to give an estimated cost. However, we’ll let you know the minimum requirements in your Course Information, which you’ll receive before you start your course.

A good habit which a lot of our students learn along the way is how to be thrifty and resourceful — where you can, buy things second-hand from other students, or in charity shops. Many of the most unusual and useful items can come from the most unlikely places!

More information

If you have a question that’s not covered by our Fees & Funding pages, feel free to contact us:

T: 01252 892883
E: enquiries@uca.ac.uk