Information for 2017
The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country. LSE provides generous financial support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships to UK, EU and overseas students, while Government support, in the form of loans, is available to UK and some EU students.
Detailed information about the support available from the UK government and from LSE is available here. A summary of the most recent information is below.
Government support
for students from England
Maintenance loans
A loan (worth up to £10,702 in 2016 for study in London) to help with living costs during term times and holidays, is available for all undergraduates from England. The Government publishes new information as it becomes available.
for students from elsewhere in the UK
Different financial support packages are available for students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Students from these countries should refer to one of the following websites.
Student Finance Wales
Student Awards Agency Scotland
Student Finance Northern Ireland
for students from the EU
Students from the EU are not usually eligible for UK Government maintenance loans.
However EU nationals who have home status in the UK (resident) for five years before the start of their degree programme may qualify for a maintenance loan. Please see the Gov.UK website for more information.
for students from outside the UK
Overseas students, ie, those from outside the EU are not eligible to apply for UK Government funds. However, there is a range of funding available for overseas students from external agencies, bodies or your home government, details of which are available from your home government or nearest British Council office, or on the UK Coucil for International Student Affairs website.
LSE financial support
UK and EU students
LSE offers generous funding for UK and EU students which supplements the Government loans. Our bursary package is one of the most generous in the UK higher education sector.
LSE Bursary
Students from the UK and from the EU with a household income of up to £42,611 are eligible for an LSE bursary. For new students starting in 2017 this is worth up to £4,000 per year.
Household income will be assessed by Student Finance in relation to the means-tested maintenance loan, and this information will be made available to LSE if you opt to be means-tested by Student Finance (and with your consent).
The maximum bursary will be £4,000 per year for students with the lowest family income.
LSE scholarships
Each year LSE awards a number of scholarships - funded by private or corporate donation to UK and EU students. The number, value, eligibility criteria and type of awards vary from year to year. Awards are made on the basis of financial need in the first instance, and then academic merit. Please see the Financial Support webpages for details of all the latest scholarships and for information on how to apply.
Awards for asylum seekers
LSE is offering three awards made up of a partial fee waiver and financial support for:
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Asylum seekers (or children of asylum seekers) holding an offer of a place on an LSE undergraduate programme; and
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Offer holders who have been granted limited leave as a result of an asylum application
These awards support those unable to access a tuition fee or maintenance loan from Student Finance who are assessed at the overseas fee rate. The partial fee waiver reduces the fee to the UK/EU level, and the fee and maintenance award is worth up to £20,000 a year depending on financial need. This is made up of £9,000 to cover the payment of the tuition fee and up tot £11,000 for maintenance. More information on the awards for asylum seekers.
Overseas students
LSE Undergraduate Support Scheme
The LSE undergraduate support scheme (USS) is designed to help overseas students who do not have the necessary funds to meet all their costs of study. In 2015, the School disbursed nearly £780,000 in entrance awards available to self-financing students of all nationalities. The amount of assistance will vary according to individual financial needs but awards are usually between £6,000 and £15,000. This financial aid is available only for study at LSE. Awards are renewable for each year of your programme. The application deadline is likely to be early April 2017. More information on the Undergraduate Support Scheme.
LSE scholarships
The School offers a limited number of undergraduate scholarships of varying amounts each year for overseas students. Please see the Financial Support webpages for details of all the latest scholarships and for information on how to apply.