Can you afford to study?

1.  Finalise what and where to study

You need to have an idea of what you're going to study and where you'll be studying before you can properly estimate how much it's going to cost you.

2. Work out how much study will cost

There's lots of things you'll need to pay for while you study.

3.  See how you'll pay for it

There are lots of ways you can pay for your study costs.

4.  Do a budget

You can use the Sorted budget calculator to estimate how much you'll need to pay for your study.

Once you've done a budget, you'll have an idea of whether or not you can afford to study.

Can afford to study

That's great. You'll need to start the process as soon as you can to help get your correct payments on time.

Can't afford to study

Have another look – could you cut back on some of those expenses? Is there a cheaper place to live? Maybe you just need to think about some other funding options.

It’s good to sort your plans before you start study, as you don't want to be worrying about your finances. If it looks like you can’t afford to study just yet, maybe you need to think about a long-term plan.

There are also a number of people you could talk to that may be able to help:

• careers adviser
• guidance counsellor
• budgeting adviser.