What is a student loan and who can get one? Tuition fee and maintenance loan amounts (2026-27)

Who does this apply to?

• This is general information. It does not assess anyone's personal situation and does not say who qualifies. It is for full-time undergraduate courses in England. It is based on the GOV.UK "Student finance" pages (October 2026). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate systems.

The two main loans

• Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university or college and you must repay it. For a standard full-time degree in 2026-27 it is up to £9,790 (2025-26: £9,535). For an accelerated degree £11,750; for a classroom-based foundation year £5,760.
• Maintenance Loan (living costs): paid into your bank account, usually at the start of each term once you have registered. Maximum amounts in 2026-27: £9,118 living with parents, £10,830 away from parents outside London, £14,135 away from parents in London, £12,403 for a year abroad. What you get depends on your household income and where you live.
• Extra help (grants) may be available for low income, disability or children; you do not usually have to repay it.

Who can apply?

• GOV.UK says UK nationals, Irish citizens or people with "settled status" who meet the university, course and age requirements can apply for both loans if their home is in England and they have lived continuously in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before the first day of the first academic year. Temporary absences such as holidays do not count against this.
• If you have a different nationality or live outside the UK, GOV.UK points you to the "undergraduate student finance checker", which tells you whether you can apply and which loan you could get based on your nationality and residence. The page also says some people get only a Tuition Fee Loan.
• Turkish families have a special rule: the "child of a Turkish worker" category. See the post "Home fee or international fee?".

Applying

• You apply online or by post; the wrong method delays the application. It takes about 4 weeks, and extra evidence may be requested.
• You must reapply every year.
• You may need ID and (where needed) proof of household income.

Important notes

• GOV.UK says repayments depend on your earnings, not the amount you owe. Interest is charged from the day the loan is taken out.
• Student loans do not appear on your credit report or affect your credit score, but lenders may consider them in affordability checks such as for a mortgage.
• The GOV.UK page says the system is changing for courses starting on or after 1 January 2027; if you start after that date, check the current rules.

Points to watch

• Official pages and amounts change every year. This post is a general summary.

What can you do?

• Read Student finance: Overview and Full-time students.
• Use the checker linked from Who qualifies for student finance.
• For personal immigration questions, find a registered adviser: GOV.UK: Find an immigration adviser. Money paid to an unregulated adviser cannot be recovered.