Student finance for undergraduates

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Overview

You may be eligible for student finance to help you study at university or college.

For example, you may be able to apply for:

  • a Tuition Fee Loan to help pay the course tuition fees charged by your university or college
  • a Maintenance Loan to help pay for things like rent, food, books, travel and other living costs

Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college. Maintenance Loans are paid into your bank account.

Any loan you borrow needs to be paid back, but not until you’ve finished or left your course, and you earn over a certain amount.

You might get extra financial help on top of this, for example if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children. You do not usually need to pay back this extra help.

You may be able to get student finance even if you’re not from the UK.

Find out if you’re eligible.

If you’re a continuing student or you’ve already created an account, log in to your account.

Before you apply

When you start to repay your loan, the size of your monthly repayments will depend on how much you earn, not what you owe.

You’ll be charged interest on the loan from the day you take it out. The terms and conditions can change.

Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2024 to 2025

Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2025 to 2026

The rules are different if your course started before September 2016.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

You can give someone permission to act on your behalf (for example using Power of Attorney) if you want them to apply for you.

How to apply

Find out how to apply for student finance.

If you’re under 25 and have no contact with your parents, you might be able to apply 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 as a care leaver.

If you’re not from England

There’s a different process if you’re:

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Get undergraduate student finance: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you're eligible for student finance

    1. If you’re from England or outside the UK, check if you're eligible

    There’s a different process if:

  2. Step 2 Find out how much loan you could get

    You may be able to apply for:

    • a Tuition Fee Loan to help pay your course tuition fees
    • a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs

    Find out how much you could get if you're a:

    How much Maintenance Loan you get depends on where you'll study and your household income.

    1. Use the student finance calculator to estimate your Maintenance Loan

    You'll have to pay back any loan you get.

    1. Find out how much you'll repay
    2. Find out when you'll start repaying

  3. and Check if you can get extra help

    You might be able to get extra money if you:

    You might also be able to get other financial help, for example from your university or the government.

    1. Find out about extra help

  4. Step 3 Prepare your application

    1. Check when you can apply
    2. Check what ID you'll need
    3. Check if you need to give proof of your household income

  5. Step 4 Apply or reapply

    You can apply online or by post depending on the type of student finance you’re eligible for.

    If you apply in the wrong way, it could delay your application.

    1. Find out how to apply

    It takes 4 weeks to process your application. You might have to provide extra evidence.

  6. Step 5 Update your details if your circumstances change

    You must update your application if your circumstances change. For example if you:

    • change your course through clearing
    • change where you're going to live - for example with your parents instead of halls
    1. Find out how to update your application

  7. Step 6 Make sure you can be paid

    After you register at your university or college you'll usually get your Maintenance Loan paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term.

    Use your student finance account to:

    • update your bank details - for example if you open a student account
    • check how much you'll be paid
    • check when you'll be paid
    1. Sign in to your student finance account

    Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college.

  8. Step 7 Check what to do while you're studying

    You'll need to reapply for student finance for each year of your course.

    You must keep your details up to date throughout your course because some changes can affect your loan payments, for example if your household income or bank details change.

    1. Check how to update your details
    2. Find out what to do if you suspend or leave your course

  9. Step 8 Check what to do when you stop studying

    When you stop studying the Student Loans Company (SLC) will create a student loans repayment account for you.

    The log in details will be the same as for your student finance account. You should check your contact details are correct.

    1. Sign in to your student loan repayment account

    You must update your employment details if:

    • you leave the UK for more than 3 months
    • SLC asks you to update them
    1. Update your employment details

  10. Step 9 Repay your loan

    The repayment plan you're on will determine when you start repaying and how much you repay.

    1. Check which repayment plan you’re on
    2. Find out how much you'll repay
    3. Find out when you'll start repaying
    4. Find out how to repay