If you are a UK or EU (or EEA student) then your fees will be normally around £3,500 a year (some subjects have bench fees as well). An international student would pay more in fees (but £10,000 a year does sound very high!). If it were say £3,500, the £12,000 would be tax free so you would have £8,500 to live on: nor rich by any means, but enough to live a modest living. You might be able to supplement it by teaching or by part time work, but most funding comes with a limit to how much paid work you can take on.