The Student Finance Office is above Housekeeping, near the JCR Games Room.
UK bank accounts
It is essential to have a UK bank account set up, ideally in advance of your arrival in Cambridge or as soon as possible after you arrive. Once you are in Cambridge, all payments for accommodation, catering and other charges will be made by direct debit from your UK bank account. A direct debit mandate form will be sent to you for completion and return to the Students Accounts Office. Tuition fees should be paid by bank transfer or you may with to use TransferMate if paying Tuition fees from a non-UK bank account.
The College bank account details for electronic transfer can be obtained from the Finance Department. Please email:
students.accounts@chu.cam.ac.uk
On request, the Tutorial Assistant will provide a letter confirming your student status for a bank.
University Card
You will be provided with a university/college card which will be given to you, if available, at the registration day. Otherwise it must be collected from the Porters Lodge or, in a few cases, from your department. This card must be returned when you have completed your studies and leave college.
Lost cards must be reported to the Student Accounts Office within five days. The card gives you access to various areas of the College and University, and can be used in the dining hall and buttery to charge meals and food purchases to your account. It also gives you a flat fare on the U buses into town, train station and onto Addenbrooke’s Hospital. There is a charge for replacing the card, if lost, of £15.
Finance information for Freshers
All students arriving in college at the start of term must sign the Redit book in the Porters’ Lodge to confirm that they are in residence in the University and the Exeat form when they leave at the end of term. Otherwise you may be charged extra rent.
All Home fee status students seeking a maintenance loan or assistance with fees, must apply to the Student Loans Company (SLC) for each year of their course. There is detailed information on how to apply including the deadline for new and ongoing students online.
Students must give the Student Accounts Officer a copy of their financial notification form as soon as possible on arrival in the College for each year of their course. Home fee status students eligible for loans for maintenance (for living expenses) from the SLC will receive these directly into their bank accounts each term, once the SLC has received bank account details from the students, and confirmation of attendance from the College.
All Home fee status students who apply for an SLC loan will automatically be considered for a Cambridge bursary of up to £3,500 pa.
If you are a Home fee status student and will be receiving a loan for fees or maintenance, you will be sent a financial notification form which advises you of the loan you will receive, and the amount you need to pay to the College for fees (if fees are not covered by a loan). Returning students should give the form to the Student Accounts Officer in the Accounts Office.
Useful links for Freshers:
Student Loans Company (England)
Finance information for returning students
If you are a Home fee status student and are returning to College for your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year you should consult the GOV.UK website for details of how to apply for this year’s financial assessment. This must be done every year of your course and as early as possible in the summer.
US loans
For those Students receiving loans from the US Department of Education the following links should provide the information you require:
Us Loans – Consumer Information
Additional funding
If you wish to apply for a loan and/or grant payments of grants for living expenses from any other public bodies for UK, EU and Overseas students, where these are sent to the College, will be made to students when the cheques are received: please attend the Student Finance Office during normal working hours to collect these.
Tuition fees
All tuition fees are collected through the College. Approved fees for Home fee status students are charged termly in advance and those not paid directly by the SLC/SAAS loans should be paid to the College at the start of term. If the payment of fees in advance causes you hardship, you should contact on your tutor immediately.
Overseas undergraduate students are required to pay two separate university and college fees annually in advance to the College and will have been notified about this when they were offered a place.
Students eligible for public support (this will apply to the great majority of Home fee status students) have their college fees and any means-tested contribution due for their university fees paid directly from public funds. Students starting in October 2022 not eligible, or failing to provide the necessary information to confirm eligibility, will be liable for the full college fee of £10,695 in addition to the university fee.
Home fee status students awarded maintenance loans must have or have applied for a National Insurance (NI) number before their first loan instalment will be paid. If you do not already have a NI number the SLC will advise you how to apply for one. Students aged under 20 years should contact HMRC on Tel: 0300 200 3500 for information on how to apply for an NI number.
College billing
College Membership Bond
All Students are required to pay a Membership Bond when they first become a member (student) of Churchill College. The Membership Bond of £250 should be paid by overseas students in advance of their arrival in College. Students in receipt of SLC support do not need to pay the Membership Bond until their first loan instalment has been received. The Membership Bond will be collected by direct debit on/after 1 November 2022.
The Membership Bond is held by the College until the student graduates or leaves College and will be refunded against the student’s final College account. It will be used to settle any balance owed by the student. The student will not receive any interest whilst the Membership Bond is held by College.
Catering charges
The cost of meals taken in the dining hall and of food items available for sale in the dining hall and buttery is subsidised relative to the cost of similar meals and food outside of college. You are encouraged, but not required, to make use of these dining facilities and the college’s student kitchens are designed as snack kitchens only.
Your monthly College Account includes fines, printing and all charges for meals taken and food items bought using your college account or University card during the month. Every two weeks during term time you will also be sent an email with your breakdown of actual meal charges to date, for information.
Payment to Southern African Bursary
Churchill College a funds a Southern African Bursary, which provides the full cost of a Cambridge University education for a student from Southern Africa. The bursary holder is selected on academic merit and on social and financial need. The bursary holder is usually a graduate student. The bursary is funded by a voluntary subscription from members of the College (fellows and students); more than 80% of students contribute.
Contributions of £6 per term are included on your Michaelmas, Lent and Easter terms’ College Account, unless you opt out of the scheme. If you wish to opt out, please inform the Student Accounts Office at the start of Michaelmas term.
