COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE

The Cost of Living Allowance is designed to support UK home undergraduate students facing financial challenges due to rising living costs. This initiative reflects University College Birmingham’s commitment to social inclusion, supporting our students’ success and responding to the needs of our community. 

To be eligible for the Cost of Living Allowance, you must be a full-time undergraduate student starting their course in September 2025, with home fee status who will pay their fees using a student loan.

To receive the allowance, students need to have their student loan in place with University College Birmingham and have enrolled status for four weeks (from either term starts or their enrolment is completed, whichever is later). Students must have physical attendance marks (not just ‘engagement’ on the portal) to be entitled to receive the payment.

The Cost of Living Allowance will automatically be applied for eligible students, there is no need to apply.

The Cost of Living Allowance will be paid to you in instalments. If your course starts in September 2025, you will receive:

• £2,000 in monthly payments of £250 from October – May in both the first and second year of your course
• Two payments of £500, one in November and one in March in the third year of your course

To receive the allowance, students need to have their student loan in place with University College Birmingham and have enrolled status for four weeks (from either term starts or their enrolment is completed, whichever is later). Students must have physical attendance marks (not just ‘engagement’ on the portal) to be entitled to receive the payment.

For students whose loan is not in place, payments will only be backdated for a maximum of three months from the date of the tuition fee loan being approved. If, for example, a September starter has their loan approved the following March, they will receive payments for February, January and December – but not the November and October payments.

If you are studying a two-year foundation degree, you will receive £2,000 in instalments each year of your course. If you decide you'd like to top up to a full BA or BSc (Hons) at the end of your foundation degree, you will also be entitled to the £1,000 in the third year.

The Cost of Living Allowance is linked to minimum attendance requirements for each course.

No, the Cost of Living Allowance doesn't apply in an additional placement year (if you end up doing a fourth year of your degree).

We have not made any commitments past September 2025 about extending this allowance. 

Yes, you will receive £2,000 over the year of study.

The Cost of Living Allowance does not apply to online and part-time courses.

The Cost of Living Allowance is in addition to Kick-Start funding, already available to all home undergraduate students. Find out more about Kick-Start here.

To be eligible for the Cost of Living Allowance, students must not have been enrolled on any University College Birmingham higher education course in the past 12 months.

Students on repeat study are not eligible for the Cost of Living Allowance.

Unfortunately, students joining us in years 2 or 3 are not eligible for the Cost of Living Allowance.

If you have any questions about our Cost of Living Allowance, please email costofliving@ucb.ac.uk