- Tuition Fee Loan amounts by academic year
- Maintenance Loan limits and what decides yours
- Who qualifies for student finance
- Studied before? How earlier courses cut your funding
- Applying, reapplying and getting paid
- How repayment works and the credit file question
- Verdict on applying for student finance
- Frequently asked questions
Student finance for undergraduates from England is mainly a Tuition Fee Loan, paid straight to your university or college, and a Maintenance Loan, paid into your bank account for living costs. As of Nov 2026, GOV.UK lists Tuition Fee Loans of up to 9,790 pounds for full-time students in the 2026 to 2027 academic year, repaid only once you've left your course and earn over a certain amount.
Student finance can feel like a maze of acronyms, but at its core there are two loans and some optional extra help. The bits that matter most are who qualifies, how much you can borrow and how repayment works, because it's set up differently from most borrowing. This guide sticks to what GOV.UK's Student finance for undergraduates pages say for students from England.
Tuition Fee Loan amounts by academic year
Your university or college sets the tuition fee, and the Tuition Fee Loan is paid directly to them. These are the maximums on GOV.UK, as of Nov 2026:
| Type of course | 2025 to 2026 academic year | 2026 to 2027 academic year |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time student | Up to 9,535 pounds | Up to 9,790 pounds |
| Accelerated degree course | Up to 11,440 pounds | Up to 11,750 pounds |
| Foundation year, classroom-based (business, social science or humanities) | Up to 5,760 pounds | Up to 5,760 pounds |
| Foundation year, partly practical (science, engineering, subjects allied to medicine, creative and performing arts) | Up to 9,535 pounds | Up to 9,790 pounds |
A foundation year is a year added to the start of an undergraduate course, and how much you get for it depends on the subject. GOV.UK notes the amount you're charged may vary depending on where in the UK you study.
Maintenance Loan limits and what decides yours
The Maintenance Loan helps with things like rent, food, books, travel and other living costs. It's paid into your bank account at the start of each term, and you give details of your household income and course start date when you apply. The maximum depends on where you live:
| Your situation | 2025 to 2026 academic year | 2026 to 2027 academic year |
|---|---|---|
| Living with your parents | Up to 8,877 pounds | Up to 9,118 pounds |
| Away from your parents, outside London | Up to 10,544 pounds | Up to 10,830 pounds |
| Away from your parents, in London | Up to 13,762 pounds | Up to 14,135 pounds |
| Spending a year of a UK course studying abroad | Up to 12,076 pounds | Up to 12,403 pounds |
| Aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year | Up to 4,461 pounds | Up to 4,582 pounds |
GOV.UK is frank that you may not get the full amount and may need other ways to fund the rest of your living costs, such as part-time work, local authority assistance, bursaries, scholarships or family contributions. If your course lasts longer than 30 weeks and 3 days, you could get extra money in your Maintenance Loan, called a Long Course Loan. Distance learning students can only apply for a Maintenance Loan if a disability means they can't attend in person.
From the 2026 to 2027 academic year, a care leaver's household income won't be used to calculate their Maintenance Loan, so they can choose to borrow the maximum. The Student Loans Company will still use household income to check what other funding they can get.
Who qualifies for student finance
GOV.UK says what you qualify for depends on your university or college, your course, whether you've studied in higher education before, your age, and your nationality or residency status.
- Course: full-time UK courses that can qualify include a first degree such as a BA, BSc or BEd, a foundation degree, a Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education, an HNC or HND, Initial Teacher Training, an integrated master's degree, a pre-registration postgraduate healthcare course and a level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification approval.
- Part time: your course needs a course intensity of 25% or more, and the list of courses that qualify for a part-time Maintenance Loan is shorter.
- Degree apprenticeships: you're not eligible for student finance.
- Age: there's no upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans or grants. If you're 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year and studying full time, you may get limited Maintenance Loan funding.
- UK nationals, Irish citizens and people with settled status: you can apply for both loans if your home is in England and you've lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the 3 years before the first day of your first academic year, apart from temporary absences such as holidays.
If you have a different nationality or you live outside the UK, GOV.UK's undergraduate student finance checker tells you whether you can apply and which type of loan you can get.
Studied before? How earlier courses cut your funding
This catches out a lot of people going back to university. GOV.UK says you'll usually only get student finance for your first higher education qualification, even if you paid for a previous course yourself. If you've studied before, any Tuition Fee Loans you're eligible for are applied to the final years of the new course.
GOV.UK's rule is to take the total number of years you're applying for, add one, then take away the years you studied before, counting part of a year as a whole year. In its own example, someone starting a 3 year course after 2 years of a different course gets a Maintenance Loan in year 1, then Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans in years 2 and 3. If you stopped your course within the first year, you'll get funding for the same course or a new one when you go back. If you stopped for a personal reason, such as illness or pregnancy, you might get funding for all of your course if you apply online with supporting evidence.
Already have a degree? GOV.UK says limited funding may still be possible, for example when topping up an HNC, HND or foundation degree to an Honours degree, or for certain subjects such as medicine, computer science, mathematical sciences, architecture or veterinary courses.
Applying, reapplying and getting paid
- Check your eligibility. Students from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man have a different process.
- Find out how much you could get, and use the student finance calculator to estimate your Maintenance Loan and any extra grants or allowances.
- Prepare your application: check when you can apply, what ID you'll need and whether you need to give proof of household income.
- Apply online or by post, depending on the type of student finance you're eligible for. Applying the wrong way could delay things, and GOV.UK says it takes 4 weeks to process an application.
- Register at your university or college. Your Maintenance Loan is usually paid into your bank account at the start of each term, while the Tuition Fee Loan goes straight to the institution.
- Reapply for each year of your course, and update your details if your household income, bank details or living arrangements change.
If you're under 25 and have no contact with your parents, you might be able to apply through UCAS as an estranged student. If you spent at least 13 weeks in the care of your local authority before you turned 16, you might be able to apply through UCAS as a care leaver.
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How repayment works and the credit file question
Any loan you borrow has to be paid back, but not until you've finished or left your course and you earn over a certain amount. Your monthly repayments depend on how much you earn, not on what you owe, and interest is charged from the day you take the loan out. Your repayment plan decides when you start repaying and how much you repay.
GOV.UK says student loans don't appear on credit reports and don't affect your credit score, although lenders may consider them during affordability checks for other borrowing, such as a mortgage. If you leave the UK for more than 3 months, you must update your employment details.
Extra help, which you don't usually pay back, may be available if you're on a low income, are disabled, have children, pay for childcare or have an adult who depends on you financially. GOV.UK also flags that student finance is changing for courses that start from 2027 onwards, so check what you could get if that's you.
Verdict on applying for student finance
Apply as early as GOV.UK's Student finance for undergraduates page lets you, because processing takes 4 weeks and you'll want the money landing at the start of term. Treat the maximum Maintenance Loan as a ceiling rather than a promise, and work out how you'll cover any gap before you commit to a tenancy.
Part-time work is one of the ways GOV.UK suggests filling that gap, so these online part-time jobs for students are worth a look, alongside these money-saving apps for UK students and families.
Frequently asked questions
How much student finance can I get?
As of Nov 2026, GOV.UK lists Tuition Fee Loans up to 9,790 pounds for full-time students in the 2026 to 2027 academic year, and Maintenance Loans up to 14,135 pounds if you live away from your parents in London. Your Maintenance Loan depends on household income and where you live.
When do I start repaying my student loan?
Not until you've finished or left your course and you earn over a certain amount. Your repayment plan decides when you start and how much you repay.
Does a student loan affect my credit score?
GOV.UK says student loans don't appear on credit reports and don't affect your credit score, but lenders may consider them in affordability checks, such as for a mortgage.
Is there an age limit for student finance?
There's no upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans or grants. If you're 60 or over, Maintenance Loan funding is limited.
Do I need to reapply every year?
Yes. GOV.UK says you'll need to reapply for student finance for each year of your course.
Can I get student finance for a degree apprenticeship?
No. GOV.UK says you're not eligible for student finance if you're doing a degree apprenticeship.
