Finance Guide FAQ
1. What is the Student Loan Company?
The Student Loan Company, or SLC, is a government-backed scheme that provides loans
and grants to help students cover the costs of tuition fees and living expenses while they are
studying at university or college.
We only deal with them if you have applied for a Student Loan, registered for a course at the
school and have attended the school. The SLC pay us for every term you attend Central Film
School. Please note that once you have attended a lesson in a term, you are liable to pay for
said term.
2. What if I need help with my living costs?
You can apply to the SLC for different funding types. The following are available:
Tuition Fee Loan: Covers the cost of your course tuition fees, and is paid directly to your university or college.
Maintenance Loan (Living Costs): Helps with living costs such as rent, food, and transport, and is paid directly to you. This amount is often means-tested (i.e. based on household income).
Grants/Bursaries: Funds that do not have to be repaid, often specific to certain circumstances (e.g., depending on household income, for students with disabilities, or for students with children).
Please note: Both the Tuition Fee Loan and the Maintenance Loan must be repaid. They are combined into a single student loan balance.
3. Is the Maintenance Loan means-tested?
Yes, the amount of Maintenance Loan you are eligible for is primarily determined by your
household income (usually your parents' or partner's income), where you live and study (e.g.,
at home, away from home), and whether you study in London.
4. Can I get Student Finance if I'm studying part-time?
Yes, Student Finance is available for many part-time courses, though the eligibility criteria and
the funding amounts (especially for maintenance support) may differ from full-time study.
5. How can Central Film School help?
Central Film School has the Hardship Fund in place which every student can apply to.
Please note the terms and conditions of the Hardship Fund are here.
If you wish to apply to the Hardship fund, you can do this here.
6. Can I get any more help?
You can contact the following for financial support and other funds:
DSA Allowance (Disabled Students’ Allowance)
Royal Television Society Bursaries - The RTS offers bursaries and grants to students and
those looking to develop a career in television production.
Gilchrist Educational Trust - This grant is designed for students who have funded the
majority of their educational costs but due to sudden unexpected circumstances, are in need
of financial aid. More information can be found here. (Please note, this is not applicable to
those on a Foundation Course).
The Leathersellers’ Company Charitable Fund - Grants made available (up to £5,000) for
recent care leavers. More information can be found here.
The Sidney Perry Foundation - Offers supplementary grants of up to £1,000 per student
every year. They advise that the majority of academic/personal funding should already be
coming from elsewhere; this is just some additional help.
The Longford Trust - Financial grants and mentoring are available for students studying a
first degree or at postgraduate level who have served a prison sentence in the last five years.
Turn2Us - A grant search tool, this website specialises in helping students find grants they
may be entitled to apply for. Students often don’t realise that they may be entitled to money
they don’t have to pay back.
7. Is there any Financial Aid for International Students?
Student Accommodation & Guarantor Services - Oftentimes, student accommodation
companies in London will require international students to pay all costs upfront before they
move in. This is sometimes due to the fact that the student cannot provide a guarantor who is
based in the UK to sign a tenancy agreement with them. If you are unable to afford this, it
might be worth looking into a guarantor service such as Housing Hand.
UKCISA - The UK Council for International Student Affairs works tirelessly to ensure that all
international students based in the UK are given the best possible understanding of their
rights, what they can expect from their time abroad, and what obligations they are under to
their institution (including maintaining good attendance). They have lots of useful information
related to financial matters for international students, located here.
Additionally, you can find financial advice that UKCISA gives to all International Students on
their website. Specific information related to costs that are unique to International Students
can be found here.
8. I need help with tax codes, Local authority (Council Tax) and employment issues, can you help?
For Tax Codes, you will need to speak to HMRC directly.
For Local Authority exemptions, speak to the Quality and Registry Team at CFS via
qar@centralfilmschool.com.
For employment issues, such as pay and contracts, you can consult Citizens Advice for
further guidance. - https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
For more advice, visit:
-Graduate Prospects
- Milkround
- TargetJobs
- GraduateJobs
- My First Job in Film
