Part-time BA (Hons) in Child and Family
Funding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- How much will my tuition fees be?
- What financial help is available for my tuition fees?
- What financial help is available for my living costs?
- What do I do if I am paying my own fees?
- How do I apply for the Tuition Fee Loan?
- How do I repay the Tuition Fee Loan?
- Is there any extra financial support?
- Is there any information about managing, making, and saving money?

How much will my tuition fees be?
Tuition Fees for first-year home students studying both routes of the BA (Hons) Child and Family in the 2024-25 academic year are £6,935 and in the 2025-26 academic year, they will be £7,145. In November 2024 the UK Government announced an increase in the tuition fee cap for Home students for the 2025-26 academic year. The University expects to increase fees for future years in line with any inflationary uplift as determined by the UK Government.
Please see the following Additional Course CostsLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window webpage to find out more about the costs you will incur undertaking this course that are not covered by any Tuition Fee Loan you may be eligible for. See the following links for more information about the BA (Hons) Child and Family: Mental HealthLink opens in a new window or BA (Hons) Child and Family: Health and WellbeingLink opens in a new window courses.
What financial help is available for my tuition fees?
You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan from the UK Government. Eligibility for this loan will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your previous study and the number of modules you are studying. You can view the full criteria at Student Finance for Undergraduates -Eligibility.
If you are unsure whether you qualify for these student loans, you can Contact Student FinanceLink opens in a new window directly to clarify.

Tuition Fee Loan
- A non-means tested Tuition Fee Loan is available from Student Finance England (SFE).
- Eligible students will be able to apply for and take out the full amount of Tuition Fee Loan required to pay their Tuition Fees in full regardless of their household income.
- The Tuition Fee Loan is paid directly to the University to cover the cost of your fees in termly instalments.
- As it is a loan, you will need to repay it.
- You need to apply for this for every year of study.
What financial help is available for my living costs?
The BA (Hons) Child and Family course is a distance learning course. Distance learning courses are not eligible for a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Therefore, you must ensure you have planned for your living costs whilst studying this course.
What do I do if I am paying my own fees?
You are not required to take out the Tuition Fee Loan, you can make payments for your tuition fees directly to the University. For details, visit the University's Student Finance Team's Types of Fee, Tuition FeesLink opens in a new window and Making PaymentsLink opens in a new window webpages.
How do I apply for the Tuition Fee Loan?
Applications for part-time student loans are made online, see the Student Finance England - How to Apply webpage for more information. Applications normally open to part-time students in June and you should apply as soon as the service opens to ensure that your funding is in place for the start of your course. The application takes about 30-45 minutes and you apply for the Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan in one application.
How do I repay the Tuition Fee Loan?
- Repayments will begin in April after you have completed or left your course, or in April 4 years after the start of your course (whichever comes first).
- Repayments will start only when your income is over £25,000 per year (threshold from August 1 2023).
- You will repay 9p for every £1 you earn over the £25,000 threshold.
- Repayments are deducted automatically through the tax system. If you are self-employed or working overseas when your repayments are due to start, you will need to arrange separate repayment arrangements with Student Finance England.
- If your income falls below the £25,000 threshold repayments will stop automatically and not re-start until you are earning over the threshold again. If you are self-employed or working overseas while making repayments and your income falls below £25,000, you will need to contact Student Finance England directly.
- There are no early repayment penalties and you can choose to make voluntary repayments to your loan at any time.
- Any outstanding loan (including interest) is written off after 40 years or if you become permanently unfit for work or die.
- Interest is applied to your loan at the point the first payment is made to you and is linked to the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
Is there any extra financial support?
There is some additional financial support offered to eligible distance learning students from Student Finance England (SFE) and the University.
Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty there is additional non-repayable support available.
- DSA is a non-repayable grant offered by SFE.
- DSA is intended to help with any disability-related costs you might have.
- Any support you receive will be based on your individual needs and the number of modules you are studying (i.e., your course intensity), not your household income.
- Distance learning students need to apply by submitting a DSA 1 form.Link opens in a new window
- Make sure you apply early for DSA as applications can take up to 14 weeks as you will need to undertake a Study Needs Assessment.
- For more information on the support provided, the evidence required and how to apply check out SFE's Disabled Students' AllowanceLink opens in a new window webpage and/ or the University's Disability Team's Applying for DSA Link opens in a new windowwebpage. Within the University's Disability webpage, you will also find a DSA Eligibility Checker Link opens in a new windowtool which you can use to see whether you may be eligible for DSA.
Part-time Fee Waiver (PTFW)
In the 2024-25 academic year a fee waiver of £2,310 per 90 credits is available to eligible part-time students studying on the BA (Hons) in Child and Family course.
You must have taken out the Tuition Fee Loan and you must be in receipt (or have a spouse or partner who is in receipt) of one or more of the means-tested benefits or tax credits listed below at the start of the academic year:
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Reduction
- Working Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
Fee Waivers for the 2025-26 academic year are still to be confirmed and fee waiver awards for subsequent years of your study may be adjusted in line with any increase applied to tuition fees and will depend on your continued eligibility for the scheme. You must apply for the fee waiver every year of your course.
To apply, please complete the online application form.
Is there any information about managing, making, and saving money?
If you want to learn more about managing, making, and saving money, check out our Money Matters sub-section.