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