UK and EU tuition fees and loans for studying abroad

If you're a UK or EU student and your course includes a placement year where you study abroad or work abroad or in the UK, your funding will change for the year.

You must still register with the University of Leeds, even if you're away on placement.

UK student loan entitlement

You're entitled to receive both your tuition and maintenance loans during the year you spend on placement.

How to apply

Apply for your student loan through your national student finance organisation:

Read our guidance on applying for your student loan for information on how to complete the loan application when on a placement year.

Detailed information on SFE funding for studying abroad

EU student loan entitlement

You're entitled to receive your tuition loan for the year you spend on placement if you started your course in the 2020/2021 academic year or earlier.

If you started in the 2021/2022 academic year or later, you are not eligible for the SFE tuition loan.

How to apply

Apply for your student loan through SFE.

If you transferred to a new course to include your placement year you must complete an SFE notification of change of circumstances EUCO1 form.

What tuition fees you'll need to pay

All UK students on a year study abroad, work placement, or British Council language assistantship (BCLA) pay a reduced tuition fee.

For placements of one term, your tuition will be the same as if you completed the full year at the University of Leeds.

You won't pay a tuition fee to the host university, although there may be other fees and charges, such as:

Insurance
Student Union membership
Sports membership
Travel passes

Find more information about fees for Undergraduates and get more information about fees from the Study Abroad Office.

What maintenance you're eligible for

The amount of maintenance you're eligible for depends on your individual situation, including if you're:

Studying abroad or on a work placement in the UK or abroad
On a work placement under the Turing Scheme
On a 'special case' work placement

Maintenance for SFE students

There are two categories of maintenance loans for SFE students on a placement year:

Full funding

You're eligible for full funding if you're on study abroad, a Turing Scheme work placement (paid or unpaid) or a special case work placement.

You can be income-assessed or non-income-assessed.

Learn more about the Turing Scheme.

Reduced funding

You're eligible for reduced funding if you're on a work placement that's not under the Turing Scheme or isn't a special case.

You'll receive a significantly lower level of funding and cannot be income-assessed, regardless of whether the placement is paid or not.

For more information, visit the SFE Undergraduate Maintenance Loans page.

Get your student loan early

You may be able to get your loan early. Depending on the country you're going to, you could also be paid in one or two instalments instead of three.

Go to Applying for Your Student Loan for details.

Special case work placement loan

If you're going on an unpaid placement, you may be eligible for means-tested funding if the placement is one of the following:

Unpaid service in a hospital or in a public health service laboratory or with a clinical commissioning group in the UK;
Unpaid service with a local authority in the UK acting in the exercise of its functions relating to the care of children and young persons, health or welfare or with a voluntary organisation providing facilities or carrying out activities of a like nature in the UK; unpaid service with a local authority (within the meaning of section 2B of the NHS Act 2006) acting in the exercise of public health functions (within the meaning of that Act)*;
Unpaid service in the prison or probation or aftercare service in the UK;
Unpaid research in an institution in the UK or, in the case of a student attending an overseas institution as part of the student's course, in an overseas institution**;
Unpaid service with i) a Special Health Authority established pursuant to section 28 of the NHS Act 2006; (ia) the NHS Commissioning Board; (ib) the NIHCE; (ic)the Health and Social Care Information Centre; (ii) a Local Health Board established pursuant to section 11 of the NHS (Wales) Act 2006(b) or a Special Health Authority established pursuant to section 22 of that Act; (iii) a Health Board or a Special Health Board constituted under section 2 of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978(c); or (iv) a Health and Social Services Board established under Article 16 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(d); or
Unpaid service with either House of Parliament.

^{* The placement can be with a council or a voluntary organisation in the UK. If with a voluntary organisation, the work must be of a 'like nature' to the work that a council would undertake in exercise of its functions. The student must be working directly with 'service users' (i.e. in the provision of care/welfare, not in an administrative, funding raising, etc. role).}

^{** 'Institution' in the Student Support Regulations is defined as an educational institution offering designated higher education courses of at least one year in length or overseas equivalents.}

If your employer is paying your expenses (e.g. for travel) or if you're receiving a bursary (e.g. from the NHS) or another subsidy that is not liable for tax, your placement will be classed as unpaid by SFE.

If you're being paid a salary or any income is tax liable, your placement will be classed as paid by SFE regardless of the amount you receive.

How to apply for a special case work placement loan

If you're on a work placement which is classed as a 'special case', you'll need to indicate the category of placement on your student loan application form.

Once you have applied for your loan, email Placement Funding at placement-funding@leeds.ac.uk with the following information:

Your name
Your student ID number
The name and address of your placement
Charity number (if applicable)
Job title and brief description of duties
A note of the category
Your placement dates (start and end dates, and dates of breaks for annual leave if known)

We'll then write to your loan provider requesting you're assessed for total funding.

Extra weeks funding

If your placement is longer than 30 weeks and three days, you may be entitled to extra Maintenance Loan payments for each additional week of attendance.

You'll only be eligible if you've applied for a means-tested loan. If you're entitled to extra weeks funding, it will be added to your overall maintenance loan.

If you're an SFE student, visit the SFE for more information.

SWF and SFNI students must contact their loan providers for details.

What to do if you receive a Leeds Bursary or Scholarship

You won't receive the Leeds Bursary during the year you're away.

If you receive an Educational Engagement scholarship, contact the Plus Programme team at theplusprogramme@leeds.ac.uk to find out if you still get it while on placement.

International students

If you're an international student and your course includes a placement year, check your tuition fees with the Fees team at UGfees@leeds.ac.uk.

Apply for a travel grant

Read the Student Loans Company guidance on full-time travel grants for students studying abroad or on a work placement.