• students on a low income
• students with children, especially single parents
• students previously in care
• disabled students
• mature students with existing financial commitments.

You can also get help from your university, as well as charitable trusts. Non-repayable bursaries, scholarships and awards are available for students who’d otherwise be unable to afford to study at this level. Contact your university to find out what’s on offer, whether you’re eligible and how to apply.

Meanwhile, if you find yourself in financial difficulty after your course has started, your university may be able to provide money from its hardship funds to assist you. Apply through your university’s support services.

Student bank accounts

Most high street banks, including Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Nationwide, Halifax, Lloyds Bank and Santander, have accounts aimed specifically at students and it’s a good idea to open one of these before starting your course.

To be accepted for a student bank account, you’ll need to have your university place confirmed – but once you have the evidence to prove this, you can make use of the benefits before starting your course.

While incentives such as student rail cards and other discounts are always welcome, the size of the 0% overdraft facility will prove to be the greatest help when money is tight.

Browse the websites of the major banks to find the best option, get independent advice from consumer website MoneySavingExpert or use comparison websites such as Compare the Market to help you reach a decision.

Student loans and finance

When it comes to funding your degree, you’ll find there are plenty of student finance options available, including support for paying your tuition fees and living costs

Tuition fees

Universities charge tuition fees to cover the costs of running their undergraduate courses. Lees verder →

• Combine multiple accounts into one, with just one monthly payment to manage.
• Lower your interest rate, saving money over the life of the loan.
• Reduce your monthly payment.
• Shorten your loan repayment term.
• Remove the debt obligation of a joint borrower, such as a parent who cosigned your loans.

It’s important to note that refinancing federal student loans into a private loan will mean giving up certain benefits, including income-driven repayment plans, student loan forgiveness programs, and forbearance or deferment. If you ever expect to be eligible for these programs or need those federal benefits, you may want to hold off on refinancing your federal loans.

Our goal here at Credible Operations, Inc., NMLS Number 1681276, referred to as “Credible” below, is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we do promote products from our partner lenders, all opinions are our own.

Becoming a doctor involves many years of school and, as a result, hundreds of thousands of dollars in educational expenses. The typical doctor graduates with an average debt of $250,222 for public universities and $330,180 for private schools, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges. And with 73% of new doctors utilizing loans to pay for their education, that’s a lot of providers walking around with six-figure debt. Lees verder →