Fees & Funding: Undergraduate

Graduating student outside Hereford Cathedral in conversation with a teacher
Graduating student student talking to a teacher in robes

This page is full of information for students living in England. The tuition fee for 2024-25 for a full time Higher Education course has been set.

Course fees


The tuition fee for 2024-25 for a full time Higher Education course has been set at £9,000 for non-international students.

Tuition fees go directly towards your experience at HCA. They cover the cost of teaching, administration, maintenance, catering, equipment and facilities.

Full-time £9,000
Part-time £4,625
International/EU Please enquire
International/EU Blacksmithing £15,900

Additional Fees


In addition to the degree fees, the nature of creative arts practice means you will need to allow for some additional costs, such as for materials you choose to use in the production of work and activities, and for trips to external events and exhibitions. 

The courses at HCA have been designed to minimise the impact of additional costs; all courses leaders have an annual budget and some trips and materials will be fully funded by the college or heavily subsidised. 

Typically, a student will choose to spend around an additional £250 in the first year, £375 in the second year and £400 in their final year, depending on scale of work and materials chosen or other related costs. Students spend different amounts depending on the areas in which they specialise and individual choices.

Loans and support

A loan is available for English students & students from European Union member states to cover your tuition fees in full. The amount you borrow does not depend on your household income. The Student Loans Company pays this directly to the College.

All loan figures used are for academic year 2021-22 as we are awaiting confirmation of government regulations for 2022-23, we will update our website when they are confirmed.

All English students studying for a first degree are entitled to a Maintenance Loan to help with accommodation and other living costs (how much you get depends on where you live, study and your household income). The maximum available for 2021-22 is £9,488 if living away from home and £7,987 if living at home.

Both of the above Loans have to be repaid but you will not start paying them back until you have left College and are earning above the repayment threshold. For more information about repaying loans, please visit Repaying your student loan: When you start repaying – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

To get an estimate of how much loan you could receive, please use the student finance calculator.

For students who are aged over 60 years there is a Special Support Loan available of up to £4,014 for full time study only. The amount you receive depends on your household income.

Hereford College of Arts is committed to promoting fair access to higher education to all students, whatever their income or background.  Our Access Agreement sets fees and the financial support the College provides each year to support widening participation for higher education.

Our current Access Agreement can be found below together with previous Access Agreements for students who have already commenced their studies with us:

The college supports students at the pre-applicant stage through outreach activities and by working in partnership with a range of regional colleges.  We continue to support our students throughout their studies by offering financial support together with academic and personal guidance.

Extra Help Available from Student Finance England

For students who are entitled to certain benefits they may qualify for an extra loan for living costs. This would mean the maximum Maintenance Loan available would be £10,815 instead of £9,423 if living away from home and £9,423 instead of £7,987 for student living at home. For example; if you are a lone parent or in receipt of Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance you may qualify for this extra loan.

This grant helps with childcare costs if you have dependent children aged under 15 years in registered or approved childcare. Depending on your household income, you can apply for up to £179.62 per week for 1 child or up to £307.95 for 2 or more children.

This allowance helps with course related costs if you have dependent children. You can get up to £1,821 a year, depending on your household income.

This grant helps with costs if an adult, for example your partner, depends on you financially. You could get up to £3,190 per year depending on your household income.

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSAs) may be available if you have a disability or a specific learning difficulty including dyslexia. DSA’s do not depend on your household income and what you receive depends on your individual needs. For more information, please contact the Academic Mentoring Team by email to academicmentoring@hca.ac.uk.

Student in the workshop

How to Apply for Higher Education Funding

The easiest way is to apply online and you should apply as soon as the service opens to make sure you get your money for the start of your course. To apply to Student Finance England for funding, use the link below or, you will be able to use a link from your UCAS application.

Go to gov.uk

Support Available From Hereford College of Arts

Students may qualify for a Cash Bursary of £1,000 in their first year only. To be eligible for this bursary a student must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The student must be ordinarily resident in England.
  • The student must be liable to pay the full £9,000 tuition fee for their course.
  • The student must be a new undergraduate starting Higher Education for the first time in 2022 and have made a firm acceptance of a place on a Hereford College of Arts Higher Education course.
  • To be eligible, a student must have a declared residual household income of less than £25,000 per year.

All students who have studied either at Hereford College of Arts or one of its Progression Partner Colleges on a Further Education course within the last 2 academic years are eligible for a Progression Bursary of £500 in their first year only if studying full time or £250 if studying part time.

All care leavers will receive a Cash Bursary of £1,000 in their first year, and will also receive a Care Leaver Bursary of £1,000 in both their second and third year. Evidence of being a care leaver must be in the form of an original letter showing care leaver status from your local authority.

All bursaries are paid to students in 3 instalments: 25% is payable in the Autumn Term, 25% in the Spring term and 50% in the Summer Term. Satisfactory work, attendance and progress during the year are required to ensure all payments are made.

The purpose of this fund is to provide exceptional support to students who are experiencing financial difficulty whilst studying. This support may provide assistance with travel, material costs, rent or living expenses. 

Students requesting assistance will be required to complete an application form detailing their financial circumstances and be able to show evidence of hardship. 

Applications are assessed each term and not all applications will be successful as the College has a limited fund available. Students must have applied for, and be in receipt of, their full maintenance loan from Student Finance England before an application can be considered.

Support for Part-time Study

The tuition fee for 2022–23 has been set at £4,500 for all part-time courses.

Support Available From Student Finance England (SFE) and the Student Loans Company (SLC)

A Tuition Fee loan is available to part-time students to cover their tuition fees in full (there is no upper age limit). The amount they can borrow does not depend on household income. The Student Loans Company pays this directly to the College.

All English students studying a first undergraduate degree are entitled to a Maintenance Loan to help with accommodation and living costs (how much loan you receive depends on your household income, course intensity and where you live while studying). The study intensity for part time courses at Hereford College of Arts are 50% of a full time course. The maximum loan available for 2022-23 is £4,788 if living away from home and £3,993 if living at home.

Students aged 60 years or over on the first day of the academic year are not eligible for a maintenance loan for part time study. Students studying full time are eligible for a Special Support Loan of £4,014.

Disabled students’ allowance (DSAs) may be available if you have a disability or specific learning difficulty including dyslexia. DSA’s do not depend on your household income and what you receive depends on your individual needs. For more information, please contact the Academic Mentoring Team by email academicmentoring@hca.ac.uk

For more information about tuition fees, loans or bursaries, please email funding@hca.ac.uk

For any other information or enquiries about Higher Education funding, please email us at registry@hca.ac.uk

Talk to us

Everyone's circumstances are personal to them. Our Finance team has a huge amount of experience supporting HCA students in managing their fee payment and student financing. If you have questions about paying for your studies reach out to finance@hca.ac.uk.

Email HCA Finance

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