Repayments
If you have taken out a government loan you will be expected to start repaying this once you have left your course and are earning above a certain amount. The information below is the University's best understanding of the current position. Any changes the government make to repayment arrangements are outside the control of the University.
What will I need to repay?
Any loans you take out from the government for your course fees or living costs will be added together to form a single amount to be repaid. Each year you should receive a statement which details the amount to be repaid and the amount of interest that has accrued.
You do not have to repay Assembly Learning Grants, Maintenance Grants, or Special Support Grants as part of this process. Oxford Bursaries are also non-repayable.
| TUITION FEE LOAN + MAINTENANCE LOAN = SINGLE AMOUNT (repayable after your course) |
What and when will I have to repay?
You will not need to start repaying anything until the first April after you have left your course and you are earning over the repayment threshold.
English, Welsh and EU students
For students commencing their studies in 2025/26, repayments will be calculated as 9% of any salary you earn over the repayment threshold of £25,000 (and this threshold will be frozen until 2026/27). Repayments are usually taken from your salary if you are employed or pay tax in the UK. If you live or are employed overseas you have to make alternative arrangements and the repayment threshold may be different. The length of time it will take you to repay changes depending upon how much you borrowed. Loans will be written off 40 years after they become eligible to be repaid.
The amount you pay each month is not affected by how much you have borrowed but by what you earn; this will be 9% of your earnings over £25,000. For example:
| Salary | Amount of salary over threshold | Annual repayment | Monthly repayment |
| £25,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| £30,000 | £5,000 | £450 | £37.50 |
| £35,000 | £10,000 | £900 | £75 |
| £40,000 | £15,000 | £1,350 | £112.50 |
| £45,000 | £20,000 | £1,800 | £150 |
Northern Irish students
Repayments are currently calculated as 9% of any salary you earn over the repayment threshold of £24,990. The repayment threshold increases with inflation each tax year. Repayments are usually taken from your salary if you are employed or pay tax in the UK. If you live or are employed overseas you have to make alternative arrangements and the repayment threshold may be different. You will normally have your loans written off 25 years after they become eligible to be repaid.
Scottish students
Repayments are currently calculated at 9% of any salary you earn over the repayment threshold of £31,395. The repayment threshold increases with inflation each tax year. Repayments are usually taken from your salary if you are employed or pay tax in the UK. If you live or are employed overseas you have to make alternative arrangements and the repayment threshold may be different. You will normally have your loans written off 30 years after they become eligible to be repaid.
How much will I pay in total?
As well as repaying the original amount you borrowed, you will have to repay the interest which is added to this. Interest will be added to the outstanding balance each year, not the original amount you borrowed.
English, Welsh and EU students
For students commencing their students from 2024/25 interest rates will be set at RPI+0% to ensure graduates do not repay more than they borrowed in real terms.
RPI is the Retail Price Index which is one calculation of the cost of inflation. Adding RPI to a loan amount is generally thought to indicate the value of the borrowed amount in today's terms. RPI can vary widely from year to year.
Scottish and Northern Irish students
Interest will be charged at the flat rate of RPI or at the bank base rate plus 1% (whichever is the lower) whether in study or in repayment, and regardless of income.
What if interest rates go up?
Interest rates will vary each year as they are based upon RPI. However the amount you will pay per month will not be affected by interest rates. What will potentially change is the length of time it takes you to repay your loan.
Will I be repaying for the full repayment period?
This depends upon how much you earn during the repayment period. A large number of people are likely to be repaying for the full number of years as they won’t earn enough to repay the debt earlier; however this will mean that you won’t repay the full amount.
Will there be an early repayment charge?
There is no system of charges for students who wish to repay their loans early. Additional repayments can be made at any time by debit card, cheque, or by direct debit. Repayments from overseas can be made by international bank transfer.
Will I earn enough to repay my loans?
Remember the amount you repay will depend upon your earnings, not the amount due to be repaid, so you will earn enough to repay what you are expected to even if this isn’t the full amount. However Oxford students are highly sought after by employers due to their motivation and achievement levels. Students from Oxford go into a large variety of professions.
Where can I find more information on repaying government support?
You can find further information on repayments at the GOV.UK Repayments website.
View independent advice on student funding from MoneySavingExpert.com.
