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Financial support/Help with paying for study

The OU and the UK governments fund a range of financial support services to help you with the costs of studying. This year we expect at least 38,000 students to receive some kind of financial support for their OU studies.

There’s a whole range of financial support available when you study with the OU.

A lot of this financial support is available only if you are resident in the UK and studying undergraduate courses. But there’s also a range of help for postgraduate students, as well as those resident in the Republic of Ireland and Continental Europe.

Will I be entitled to financial support?

You might be. For instance, if you are studying an OU undergraduate course and have a household income of up to £30,000 – and more than that if you have dependants – you could qualify for financial support to put towards your course fee and the cost of your study.

Exactly what financial support you are entitled to varies, and depends on criteria such as where you live, your income, previous qualifications and level of intended study.

Students with a physical or sensory disability, a mental health difficulty, dyslexia or another specific learning difficulty may also be able to get help with extra study costs, regardless of their income.

Determining what support you might qualify for is complex, so we’ve created an eligibility checker to make things simple for you. Just answer a series of simple questions relating to your circumstances, and you’ll get a personalised summary of what financial support you could qualify for, and details of how to apply.

Use the eligibility checker, or go straight to the online financial support application.

Financial Support Office (for enquirers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
01908 653411 (Mon to Thurs 08:30-17:30, Fri 08:30-17:00)
Email: financial-support@open.ac.uk

OU in Scotland (for enquirers in Scotland)
0131 226 3851
Email: scotland@open.ac.uk