How to go to university for FREE – plus how you could get paid £30k a year while you study

The Sun

5 days ago

CONGRATULATIONS! You've opened the dreaded brown envelope to discover you've smashed your A-levels - and university is on the cards.
But are you daunted by the hefty student loan? Our top money experts reveal how you can get a debt-free degree - and the firms offering up to £30,000 a year while you study.
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It's A-levels results day today, and thousands of students will be finding out how well they've performed in their exams.
Many will have secured their uni places, or will be scrabbling through the clearing process to nab one.
But you may have been put off by the extortionate cost. Tuition fees are set to increase by £285 to a maximum of £9,535 a year - or £28,605 for a typical three-year course.
Students can apply for a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England - but this will be paid back once you've finished studying and earn over £25,000.
Plus, you'll need to pay back any maintenance loans you claim. How much you get varies based on where you live and your parents' income - but the average is around £7,200.
However, there are several ways you can get a degree without putting a major strain on your finances.
More than 50,000 people began a degree apprenticeship - which allows you to study for a fully-paid degree while working - in the 2023/2024 academic year.
Meanwhile, thousands of others avoid paying fees thanks to scholarships and bursaries, including through the British Army and NHS.
"With rising levels of student debt and graduates struggling to secure a job after leaving university, it's no surprise more young people are questioning the traditional university route," says Lizzie Crowley, senior skills adviser for the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD).
'That's why alternatives, like degree apprenticeships, are so important."
Here we explain how YOU can do it too.
Get a company to pay for your ENTIRE degree
You can save a huge £100,000 by picking a degree apprenticeship compared to applying and paying for it yourself.
Degree apprenticeships - sometimes called sponsored degrees - allow people to go to university as part of their training, while they work for the company that's hired them.
The scheme is paid for by government apprenticeship funding, so you won't have to pay for your tuition yourself.
Engineering and manufacturing is a big sector for degree apprenticeships, but they are also available across lots of industries now including tech, healthcare and science, the civil service, and even law and finance.
'I don't pay a penny for my degree thanks to my apprenticeship'
LUCY Yelland hasn't paid a penny for her £37,000 four-year engineering degree.
After getting a B in physics and Cs in maths and geography in her A-levels, she applied for a degree apprenticeship at Siemens in 2021.
To qualify for the degree apprenticeship, she needed at least two Cs.
The company is paying her full tuition fees for a four-year degree in Automation and Control Engineering at the University of Salford, which would have set her back £37,000 without an apprenticeship.
She spends five days a week working 9am to 5pm at Siemens, where she splits her time between academic work and hands-on engineering work.
One day a week, normally a Friday, is dedicated to university work, and the rest of her time is spent on projects, collaborating with engineers and applying what she's learned in her degree.
Siemens pay all of their apprentices the National Living Wage of £11.21 an hour, meaning Lucy earns an annual salary of around £23,000.
The now 23-year-old from Newcastle-under-Lyme, told The Sun: "Without tooting my own horn, I've always seen myself as quite intelligent, so I always wanted a degree.
"I did quite well in my A-levels - I took maths and physics and subjects like that, so I knew I wanted a degree.
"But I was also really fed up with sitting behind a desk and I wanted to get hands-on experience," she added.
Lucy said she also wanted the "independence" that comes with being able to earn a proper wage at 19.
"I think the apprenticeship was the best of both worlds because I've got the really hands-on experience, which is also really good if I wanted to get another job, as well as the academic side."
Even though she spends most of her time working rather than studying, she says she doesn't feel like she's missing out on the traditional university experience by doing an apprenticeship.
She gets to socialise with the other apprentices in the company - including going to the pub on Friday nights.
There's no minimum amount of time Lucy has to remain at the company after she completes her training.
Siemens recruits around 14 degree apprentices each year from a range of disciplines including sales, project management, and engineering, at locations all around the country.
Vacancies for the company's apprenticeships go live from December to March, and you can apply on the Siemens website.
To apply, you'll normally need to be at least 18 and live in England.
The entry requirements vary for each degree apprenticeship, but some will ask for at least five GCSEs at 9-4 (or A*- C on the old grading scale), including English and maths.
You can also progress into one from a lower-level apprenticeship or another qualification like a T Level, according to the Department for Education (DfE).
Like with any job, employers may also look for other skills like teamwork and communication, or previous work experience.
The amount you earn also depends on the apprenticeship, but many companies offer annual salaries of at least £20,000, which will go up after you finish your degree.
DfE analysis revealed that the median salary for degree apprentices one year after qualifying was £34,620 - compared with the national median salary of £37,430.
You'll spend about 20 per cent of your time studying and 80 per cent working, and you'll achieve an undergraduate (level 6) degree, or a master's (level 7) degree at the end of your apprenticeship.
Not only will you avoid student loans, you'll also get paid a competitive salary while you undertake your university course part-time.
The saving could be significant, said Dr Adeshola Cole, founder of Tritek Academy.
" Tuition fees for UK universities can total up to £27,750–£37,000 over three to four years," she says.
"When you also factor in the salary you earn during the programme, your overall financial advantage often exceeds £100,000 compared to a traditional route."
You may also get travel subsidies or accommodation allowances, depending on which company you do your apprenticeship with.
'Fantastic benefits'
Founder of student network Young Professionals, Daniel Miller, says some companies are now offering sign-on bonuses of up to £3,000, which are often intended as a relocation allowance for apprentices.
"Most companies will have fantastic employee benefits such as great pension schemes, health insurance, complimentary breakfast and lunches in the office as well as a whole load of other perks," he adds.
However, CIPD's Lizzie Crowley warns that doing a degree apprenticeship is "not an easy option", as you'll need to balance full-time work with studying, and you won't get the traditional uni experience.
Check the T&Cs of your contract - you'll often be expected to stay with the company for one or two years after you finish your training.
If you don't like it and quit, you may end up having to pay back the company for your training if you end your contract early.
Competition for places has also become fierce, adds Dr Cole, with applications now just as competitive as those for top universities.
You can visit the UCAS website for a list of all the industries and companies that offer degree apprenticeship schemes.
You can apply for a degree apprenticeship in the same way you would apply for a normal job.
Most companies will require you to submit an application which usually includes a CV and cover letter.
Apprenticeship schemes are advertised by employers throughout the year, unlike university applications which are normally open between September and January every year.
Check company websites directly, and you can use the government's Find an Apprenticeship service to explore degree apprenticeships.
Get a loan you DON'T have to pay back
Don't fancy an apprenticeship and want the traditional uni experience?
You may be eligible for a scholarship, bursary or grant that you don't need to pay back.
Some universities offer scholarships, which can cover some or all of your tuition fees and living costs, to high-achieving students or those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Many scholarships are exclusively for international students, but there are still some on offer for people in the UK.
For example, the University of Buckingham 's Headley Trust Scholarship offers full tuition fees for its two-year undergraduate law degree.
Many universities also provide grants, bursaries, and hardship funds which can cover some of your tuition fees or your living costs.
You can check university websites to see what funding they offer, while The Scholarship Hub provides a list of scholarships available (www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk).
Depending on your financial circumstances, you may also be eligible for charitable funding to cover some university costs. You can use the grant search tool on the Turn2us website to check if you're eligible.
Join the army or NHS
Some organisations will cover the full cost of your tuition fees.
The British Army offers a range of bursaries and scholarships, worth up to £75,000, that will fund your degree once you commit to join the Army - normally for a minimum of four years - after you graduate.
If you're aged 16 or 17, you can apply for an Army scholarship, which will give you up to £10,000 in financial support and a guaranteed career as an Army officer when you graduate.
Once you're at university, you can then apply for a range of Army-funded bursaries, which can cover the whole cost of your tuition.
Meanwhile, the NHS also offers bursaries that can cover your tuition fees for medical and dental students who live in England, as well as other funding both means tested and non-means tested.
You can check if you're eligible by visiting www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-bursary.
Study while you work to slash your debt
While it won't be free, doing a part-time degree alongside your job can save you from student debt - or at least cut it down.
A part-time degree allows you to study at a slower pace over a longer period of time, so you can balance your work and family life.
According to Indeed, most part-time undergraduate degrees take five or six years, but some universities allow you to be more flexible and extend your study period up to 10 years.
This in turn means that your tuition fees will be lower per year, which may make them more manageable to pay off without student loans, saving you from paying interest.
If you're working a full-time job alongside your degree, you could put some of your earnings towards your tuition fees - especially if you're still living at home.
How much you'll pay per year will normally depend on the number of credits you're taking.
For example, at Kingston University, undergraduate courses are split into 30-credit modules, each costing £2,381.
So if you're taking two 30-credit modules, your fee will be £4,762.
This is compared to the £9,535 annual fee for full-time students.
You can check the website of the university you're interested in, or speak to their finance office, to find out exactly how much you'll pay.
Many part-time students opt to live at home while studying as they don't attend as many classes during the week as full-time students.
This could also save you thousands of pounds a year, as the average cost of university accommodation is now £563 a month, according to Save the Student's 2025 National Accommodation Survey.
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