For courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, you may need to apply for student finance through the new student finance system. The new system is called your Lifelong Learning Entitlement ( LLE ). It replaces previous higher education and some further education funding. You’ll need to apply through LLE funding if you study certain courses and modules from levels 4 to 6 or some courses from level 7. This includes most undergraduate and some postgraduate and further education courses. Find out if you’re eligible to apply . There is different way to apply if your course starts before 1 January 2027 . What you can get You may be able to apply for: Tuition Fee Loans to help pay your course tuition fees Maintenance Loans to help with your living costs The amount of Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans you get partly depends on the number of credits you study. All courses that qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits. You can apply for Tuition Fee Loans up to a total amount of £39,160. This is the same as around 4 years of full-time study or 480 credits. Depending on your course, you may be able to get funding for more than 4 years. You may also be able to apply for extra financial help, for example: a grant or allowance if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children money from your university or college such as a bursary, scholarship or hardship fund NHS funding or a bursary if you’re studying certain courses such as nursing or social work Find out what student loans and extra financial help you could get. How you’ll repay Any student loans you borrow need to be paid back, but not until you’ve finished or left your course, and you earn over a certain amount. For courses starting from 1 January 2027, you’ll start repaying your loans when you earn over £25,000 a year. You’ll be charged 3.2% interest while you’re repaying them. They’ll be written off 40 years after the April you’re first due to repay. You do not usually need to pay back extra financial help such as grants, allowances or bursaries. When to apply You can apply from September 2026 for courses that start from January 2027. You will need to apply for funding for each course you study. If your course lasts longer than a year, you will need to reapply each year of your course. If you’re not from England There’ll be a different process if your home is not usually in England and you’re: studying in Scotland studying in Wales studying in Northern Ireland studying in Jersey studying in Guernsey studying in Isle of Man

You may be eligible for student finance including: Tuition Fee Loans to help pay your course tuition fees Maintenance Loans to help with your living costs extra funding such as a grant or allowance, for example, if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children For most courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, you’ll need to apply for student finance through Lifelong Learning Entitlement ( LLE ) funding. Your eligibility for student finance depends on: your course the number of credits you study each year your university, college or training provider how much previous study you’ve done your nationality and residency status your age Your course You may be eligible if you’re studying most qualifications from level 4 to 6 . You may also be eligible if you’re studying some postgraduate level 7 courses. Examples of eligible courses and modules include: a bachelor’s degree a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) an integrated master’s degree a foundation year, as long as it forms part of a bachelor’s degree a foundation degree courses and modules of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) modules from level 6 qualifications which meet skills gaps such as engineering, midwifery or social work some courses currently funded by Advanced Learner Loans a postgraduate healthcare course Check with your university, college or training provider before you start applying if you’re not sure if your course qualifies for student finance through LLE funding. The number of credits you study a year All courses which qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. One credit is equivalent to 10 hours of the learning time your university, college or training provider expects you to do. This might include things like studying, reading or coursework. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits. You’re normally only eligible for student finance when you study between 30 and 180 credits a year. The number of credits you study may affect whether you can get extra financial help such as a grant or allowance, for example, if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children. Your university, college or training provider Your university, college or training provider needs to be registered with the Office for Students (OfS). Check this with your university, college or training provider before you start applying. How much previous study you’ve done You may be eligible even if you’ve studied before. This includes if you need help funding a qualification at the same or a lower level. For example, a second undergraduate degree. The total Tuition Fee Loan amount you can usually get is £39,160. Any government funding you’ve previously received to cover course tuition fees will usually be deducted from that total, leaving you with a smaller amount. The deducted amount will include previous Tuition Fee Loans which may take into account inflation. If you did not have to pay tuition fees when you studied, the amount you would have paid will be deducted at today’s equivalent value. If you’ve already used up the Tuition Fee Loan total amount of £39,160, you usually cannot apply for more student finance. You may be able to get more student finance through LLE funding, for example, if you’re studying certain courses such as medicine, nursing or social work. Your nationality and residency status You may be eligible for either: a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan (also known as ‘full support’) a Tuition Fee Loan only (also known as ‘tuition fee only funding’) The type of help you can get depends on your nationality and residency status. If you’re a UK national or Irish citizen or have ‘settled status’ in the UK You can apply for both a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan if both the following apply: your home is in England you’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before the first day of the month your course starts (apart from temporary absences such as holidays) If you have a different nationality or you live outside the UK You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan, for example if: you’re a UK national who’s been living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Gibraltar you’re a non-UK national who has a valid residency status in the UK you’re a non-UK national who’s lived in the UK for at least 7 years (if you’re under 18) or at least 20 years or half your life (if you’re over 18) You may only be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and not a Maintenance Loan if you: have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are a family member of someone with settled status and you’ve been living in the UK Your age You must be under 60 on the first day of your course to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. If you’re 60 or above, you may be able to apply for an additional loan to help cover your living costs.

What student loans you can get

You may be able to apply for: Tuition Fee Loans to help pay your course tuition fees Maintenance Loans to help with your living costs All courses which qualify for Lifelong Learning Entitlement ( LLE ) funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits. Any loans you borrow need to be paid back, but not until you’ve finished or left your course, and you earn over a certain amount. Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college. Maintenance Loans are paid directly into your bank account. Tuition Fee Loans Depending on how much previous study you’ve done, you can apply for Tuition Fee Loans up to a total amount of £39,160. This can be for a full course or split over multiple courses. This amount is based on current rates and may change over time. £39,160 represents around 4 years of full-time study or 480 credits. You may be able to get Tuition Fee Loans for courses longer than 4 years, for example: if they include a foundation or study abroad year medicine nursing social work veterinary surgery architecture (including ‘part 2’ courses after completing an undergraduate degree in architecture) bachelor’s degrees and integrated master’s degrees provided in Scotland How much you can get How much you get in Tuition Fee Loans depends on: the number of credits you study the cost your university, college or training provider charges for each credit your university, college or training provider, for example, their type of Office for Students (OfS) registration and their Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) quality rating whether you study in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland You can get up to a maximum of £9,790 for every 120 credits you study. You may get a lower amount in Tuition Fee Loans for: lower-fee foundation year study sandwich placements study abroad Turing Scheme study and work placements abroad Your Tuition Fee Loans may not cover all of your course tuition fees. You may have to pay any course tuition fees not covered by loans yourself. Example 1 You’re studying a 480-credit degree course over 4 years which includes a study year abroad in the third year. You study 120 credits in each course year. Because of your college and where you’re studying, you could get up to a maximum of £6,185 for every 120 credits you study in your first, second and last year. You could get up to £925 for the 120 credits you study in your study abroad year. If you get these maximum amounts, you’ll have used up £19,680 out of the £39,160 available for Tuition Fee Loans by the time you’ve finished studying. You’ll then have £19,480 remaining to help cover course tuition fees in the future. Example 2 You’re studying on a 360-credit degree course over 6 years. You study 60 credits in each course year. Because of your university and where you’re studying, you could get up to a maximum of £9,790 for every 120 credits you study. As you’re studying 60 credits, you could get half that amount each year which works out at £4,895. If you get these maximum amounts, you’ll have used up £29,370 out of the £39,160 available for Tuition Fee Loans by the time you’ve finished studying. You’ll then have £9,790 remaining to help cover course tuition fees in the future. Example 3 You’re studying on a 120-credit course for a Certificate in Higher Education (“CertHE”) qualification in Business Administration. You study 30 credits in your first year and the remaining 90 credits in your second year. Because of your college and where you’re studying, you could get up to a maximum of £9,275 for every 120 credits you study. As you’re studying 30 credits in your first year, you could get a quarter of that amount which works out at £2,318.75. As you’re studying 90 credits in your second year, you could get three-quarters of £9,275 which works out at £6,956.25. If you get these maximum amounts, you’ll have used up £9,275 out of the £39,160 available for Tuition Fee Loans by the time you’ve finished studying. You’ll then have £29,885 remaining to help cover course tuition fees in the future. Maintenance Loans You can only apply for Maintenance Loans to help cover your living costs when you: still have at least £1,587.50 left from your Tuition Fee Loan amount attend your course in person You may be able to apply for Maintenance Loans after you’ve used all your Tuition Fee Loan amount if you study certain degrees which last longer than 4 years. You normally cannot get a Maintenance Loan for distance learning courses. If you cannot attend your course in person, you can only apply for a Maintenance Loan if you have a disability or long-term illness. How much you can get How much you get in Maintenance Loans depends on: where you live while you study, such as with your parents, in London or abroad the number of credits you study how many weeks you study each year your household income You can get up to a maximum of £15,415 for your course year when you’re studying up to 30 weeks. Your course year is a 12-month period that starts the first day of the month your course begins. If your full course takes longer than 12 months, each following course year starts on the same day and month as the first course year. If you study over 30 weeks a year, you may be able to get additional support depending on your household income. If you’re studying less than 120 credits a year, your Maintenance Loan is paid proportionally to the number of credits you study. If you move house during your course, how much you can get may change. You may get a lower amount in Maintenance Loans depending on your course, for example, if: you’re studying a subject which means you get other funding, such as a bursary your course includes a placement year Your Maintenance Loans may not cover all of your living costs, so you may have to find other ways to pay for them. This could include, for example, part-time work, local authority assistance, bursaries, scholarships or family contributions. Example 1 You’re studying on a 360-credit degree course over 3 years. You study 120 credits in each course year for up to 30 weeks a year. Depending on your household income and where you live, you could get up to a maximum of £15,415 for every course year. Example 2 You’re studying on a 360-credit degree course over 6 years. You study 60 credits in each course year for up to 30 weeks a year. Depending on your household income and where you live, you could get up to a maximum of £15,415 for every course year if you study 120 credits. As you’re studying 60 credits, you could get half that amount each year which works out at £7,707.50. Example 3 You’re studying on a 120-credit course for a Certificate in Higher Education (“CertHE”) qualification in Business Administration. You study 30 credits in your first year and the remaining 90 credits in your second year. Your course lasts less than 30 weeks a year. Depending on your household income and where you live, you could get up to a maximum of £15,415 for every course year if you study 120 credits. As you’re studying 30 credits in your first year, you could get a quarter of that amount which works out at £3,853.75. As you’re studying 90 credits in your second year, you could get three-quarters of £15,415 which works out at £11,561.25. Studying multiple courses in the same year You can get multiple Maintenance Loans if you study more than one course in the same year. If your courses overlap, you will not receive the full loan amounts for all your courses during that period. Instead, you’ll receive an adjusted amount of support.

What extra financial help you can get

You may also be able to apply for extra financial help, for example: a grant or allowance if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children NHS funding or a bursary if you’re studying certain courses such as nursing or social work You may also be able to apply for extra money from your university or college, such as a bursary, scholarship or hardship fund. You do not usually need to pay back this extra funding. Grants and allowances You may be able to get: Disabled Students’ Allowance if you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance if you have dependent children an Adult Dependants’ Grant if an adult depends on you financially a travel grant if you’re studying abroad or on a medical or dentistry placement and normally live in England The amount you get usually depends on your household income except if you’re applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance. How many credits you need to study All courses which qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits. You need to be studying at least 120 credits in each course year to get: a Childcare Grant Parents’ Learning Allowance an Adult Dependants’ Grant a travel grant You need to be studying at least 30 credits in each course year to get Disabled Students’ Allowance. Your course year is a 12-month period that starts the first day of the month your course begins. If your full course takes longer than 12 months, each following course year starts on the same day and month as the first course year. Course related funding You can apply for: the NHS Learning Support Fund if you’re studying pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses NHS bursaries if you’re studying certain medical or dentistry courses social work bursaries if you’re a social work student teacher training funding

Student finance if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027

Overview

For courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, you may need to apply for student finance through the new student finance system. The new system is called your Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). It replaces previous higher education and some further education funding.

You’ll need to apply through LLE funding if you study certain courses and modules from levels 4 to 6 or some courses from level 7. This includes most undergraduate and some postgraduate and further education courses.

Find out if you’re eligible to apply.

There is different way to apply if your course starts before 1 January 2027.

What you can get

You may be able to apply for:

Tuition Fee Loans to help pay your course tuition fees
Maintenance Loans to help with your living costs

The amount of Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans you get partly depends on the number of credits you study.

All courses that qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits.

You can apply for Tuition Fee Loans up to a total amount of £39,160. This is the same as around 4 years of full-time study or 480 credits. Depending on your course, you may be able to get funding for more than 4 years.

You may also be able to apply for extra financial help, for example:

a grant or allowance if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children
money from your university or college such as a bursary, scholarship or hardship fund
NHS funding or a bursary if you’re studying certain courses such as nursing or social work

Find out what student loans and extra financial help you could get.

How you’ll repay

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

For courses starting from 1 January 2027, you’ll start repaying your loans when you earn over £25,000 a year. You’ll be charged 3.2% interest while you’re repaying them. They’ll be written off 40 years after the April you’re first due to repay.

You do not usually need to pay back extra financial help such as grants, allowances or bursaries.

When to apply

You can apply from September 2026 for courses that start from January 2027.

You will need to apply for funding for each course you study. If your course lasts longer than a year, you will need to reapply each year of your course.

If you’re not from England

There’ll be a different process if your home is not usually in England and you’re:

View a printable version of the whole guide

Student finance if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027

Overview

What you can get

How you’ll repay

When to apply

If you’re not from England

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Student finance if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027

Overview

What you can get

How you’ll repay

When to apply

If you’re not from England

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK