Student finance for undergraduates
New full-time students
If your course starts on or after 1 August 2016, you can apply for:
- a Tuition Fee Loan to help pay your course tuition fees
- a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs
Tuition Fee Loan
Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan is paid directly to them. You have to pay it back.
How much you can get
| 2025 to 2026 academic year | 2026 to 2027 academic year | |
|---|---|---|
| If you’re a full-time student | Up to £9,535 | Up to £9,790 |
| If you’re studying an accelerated degree course | Up to £11,440 | Up to £11,750 |
Tuition Fee Loan for a foundation year
A foundation year is a year added to the start of an undergraduate course. You may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan if you do a foundation year.
How much you get depends on your course subject.
| Course subject | 2025 to 2026 academic year | 2026 to 2027 academic year |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom-based, such as business, social science or humanities | Up to £5,760 | Up to £5,760 |
| Partly practical, including science, engineering, subjects allied to medicine or the creative and performing arts | Up to £9,535 | Up to £9,790 |
Find out more about how much you could get for a foundation year course. The amount you’re charged may vary depending on where in the UK you study.
The loan is available for courses that start on or after 31 August 2025.
Maintenance Loan
You have to give details of your household income and your course start date.
The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term. You have to pay the loan back.
If you’re a distance learning student, you can only apply for a Maintenance Loan if you cannot attend your course in person because of a disability.
If you’re a care leaver, your household income is not used to calculate your Maintenance Loan. You can choose to borrow the maximum amount. The Student Loans Company will still use your household income to check what other funding you can get.
How much you can get
The maximum amount you can get depends on where you live.
| 2025 to 2026 academic year | 2026 to 2027 academic year | |
|---|---|---|
| Living with your parents | Up to £8,877 | Up to £9,118 |
| Living away from your parents, outside London | Up to £10,544 | Up to £10,830 |
| Living away from your parents, in London | Up to £13,762 | Up to £14,135 |
| You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad | Up to £12,076 | Up to £12,403 |
| If you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course | Up to £4,461 | Up to £4,582 |
If your course lasts longer than 30 weeks and 3 days, you could get extra money included as part of your Maintenance Loan. This is called a Long Course Loan.
You can use the student finance calculator to estimate how much Maintenance Loan you’ll get - it will also tell you if you’re eligible for extra grants or allowances. You’ll need to know if you’re eligible for a loan before you use the calculator.
You may not get the full amount, so you may have to find other ways to fund the rest of your living costs. This could include, for example, part-time work, local authority assistance, bursaries, scholarships, or family contributions.
You must report any changes to your living arrangements in your online account, so you get the correct amount of student finance. You might need evidence of any changes.
Extra help with travel costs
You might get a grant to cover some travel expenses if you normally live in England but study away from home. If you’re a medical or dental student you might also qualify for help with the costs of attending clinical placements in the UK.
Further information
2025 to 2026 academic year
Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2025 to 2026
How you’re assessed and paid - 2025 to 2026 guide