New full-time students

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan if your course starts on or after 1 August 2016. 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. If you’re a full-time student, you can get up to £9,250. If you’re studying an accelerated degree course, you could get up to £11,100. Maintenance Loan for living costs 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. How much you can get The maximum amount you can get depends on where you live. 2023 to 2024 academic year 2024 to 2025 academic year Living with your parents Up to £8,400 Up to £8,610 Living away from your parents, outside London Up to £9,978 Up to £10,227 Living away from your parents, in London Up to £13,022 Up to £13,348 You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad Up to £11,427 Up to £11,713 If you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course Up to £4,221 Up to £4,327 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 2023 to 2024 academic year Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2023 to 2024 How you’re assessed and paid - 2023 to 2024 guide 2024 to 2025 academic year Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2024 to 2025 How you’re assessed and paid - 2024 to 2025 guide

Continuing full-time students

What you’re eligible for depends on when your course starts. If your course starts on or after 1 August 2016, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan. If your course started before 1 August 2016, find out which grants and loans you can apply for . You might also be able to get extra financial help . 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. If you’re a full-time student, you can get up to £9,250. Maintenance Loan for living costs You may 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 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. 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 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 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. How much you can get The maximum amount you can get depends on where you live. 2023 to 2024 academic year 2024 to 2025 academic year Living with your parents Up to £8,400 Up to £8,610 Living away from your parents, outside London Up to £9,978 Up to £10,227 Living away from your parents, in London Up to £13,022 Up to £13,348 You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad Up to £11,427 Up to £11,713 If you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course Up to £4,221 Up to £4,327 If you’re in your final year of study You’ll get less money in your final year because SLC stops paying you after the last day of term. 2023 to 2024 academic year 2024 to 2025 academic year Living with your parents Up to £7,904 Up to £8,102 Living away from your parents, outside London Up to £9,436 Up to £9,672 Living away from your parents, in London Up to £12,065 Up to £12,367 You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad Up to £10,229 Up to £10,485 If you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course Up to £4,221 Up to £4,327 Further information Find out more about how you’re assessed and paid. 2023 to 2024 academic year Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2023 to 2024 How you’re assessed and paid - 2023 to 2024 guide 2024 to 2025 academic year Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2024 to 2025 How you’re assessed and paid - 2024 to 2025 guide

You may be able to get a loan if your part-time course has a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more. ‘Course intensity’ measures how much of your course you complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course. You can work this out by comparing your module credits with the number of module credits a full-time student will study. You’ll be asked how many credits you’ll study when you apply for the loan. Check with your university or college if you’re not sure. What you can apply for depends on when your course starts. 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. If your course starts on or after 1 August 2018 You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan. 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. You can get up to £6,935 in an academic year. Maintenance Loan for living costs How much you can get depends on: where you live while studying your household income your course intensity The loan is paid directly into your bank account 2 weeks after 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 eligible for a Maintenance Loan , you can use the student finance calculator to estimate how much you’ll get. You’re not eligible for a Maintenance Loan if you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course. If your course started before 1 August 2018 You can apply for a 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. You can get up to £6,935 in an academic year. Apply Apply for student finance or find out how to apply . Further information 2023 to 2024 academic year Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2023 to 2024 How you’re assessed and paid - 2023 to 2024 guide 2024 to 2025 academic year Student loans: a guide to terms and conditions 2024 to 2025 How you’re assessed and paid - 2024 to 2025 guide

Check on the student finance calculator to see what extra help you might be able to get. You’ll need to know if you’re eligible for a Loan before you use the calculator. Students on a low income You can apply for: Universal Credit extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship Students with children or dependent adults You can apply for: Childcare Grant - full-time students only Parents’ Learning Allowance - full-time students only Adult Dependants’ Grant - full-time students only Universal Credit extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship Disabled students If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) you can apply for: Disabled Students’ Allowance extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship You may also qualify for disability related benefits . Medical, nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students You can apply for: 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 a grant to cover some travel expenses if you’re studying a medical or dentistry course Social work students You can apply for social work bursaries if you’re a social work student. Teacher training students You can apply for extra funding if you’re a teacher training student. Students studying abroad You might get a grant to cover some travel expenses if you normally live in England but study away from home. Help from your university or college Many universities and colleges offer extra help directly to students. Funding from charitable trusts Use the Turn2us grant search to check whether you qualify for funding from a charitable trust.

Whether you qualify for student finance depends on: your university or college your course if you’ve studied a higher education course before your age your nationality or residency status Your university or college This should be a university, college or other institution that offers a qualifying course . Your course Check with your university or college if you’re not sure whether your course qualifies for funding. If you’re studying full-time You may be eligible for student finance if your course is in the UK and one of the following: a first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd a Foundation Degree a Certificate of Higher Education a Diploma of Higher Education ( DipHE ) a Higher National Certificate ( HNC ) a Higher National Diploma ( HND ) an Initial Teacher Training course an integrated master’s degree a pre-registration postgraduate healthcare course a level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification approval If you’re studying part-time Your course needs a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more for you to be eligible for student finance. You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan if your course is in the UK and one of the following: a first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd a Foundation Degree a Certificate of Higher Education a Diploma of Higher Education ( DipHE ) a Higher National Certificate ( HNC ) a Higher National Diploma ( HND ) an Initial Teacher Training course an integrated master’s degree a level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification approval You may be eligible for a Maintenance Loan if your course is in the UK and one of the following: a first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd an Initial Teacher Training course (if it’s degree level or above) an integrated master’s degree a Foundation Degree in dental hygiene and dental therapy a DipHE in dental hygiene and dental therapy or operating department practice a level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification approval You are not eligible for student finance if you’re doing a degree apprenticeship. If you’ve studied before You’ll usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification - even if your previous course was self-funded. You may still be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances and for some courses. If you changed course, stopped your studies or are repeating a year If you stopped your course within the first year, you’ll get funding for the same course or a new course when you go back. You might also get funding if you: suspended your course or withdrew before it finished - and you’re going back to study any course are repeating a year of your course at the same university, college, or institution. If you stopped your studies for a personal reason (for example, you were ill or pregnant) you might get funding for all of your course - you should apply online with supporting evidence . How to work out what funding you’ll get If you’re eligible for Maintenance Loans or Grants, you should get them for every year of your new course. Any Tuition Fee Loans you’re eligible for will be applied to the final years of your new course. You can calculate how many years you’ll get them for by taking the total number of years you’re applying for and adding one year. Then, take away the number of years you studied for previously. If you studied for part of a year, you should count it as a whole year. Example If you’re applying for a 3 year course and have studied 2 years of a different course, you’ll get a Maintenance Loan in year 1 and Tuition Fees and Maintenance Loans in years 2 and 3. If you’ve already completed a 3 year course but didn’t gain a qualification and want to apply for another 3 year course, you’ll get Maintenance Loans in years 1 and 2. You’ll get Tuition Fees and Maintenance Loans in year 3. If you already have a degree You may be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances. You may get limited funding if you’re ‘topping up’ a higher education qualification, for example you’ve finished an HNC , HND or Foundation Degree and now want to do an Honours degree. You may also get limited funding if you hold an Honours degree or a higher level of qualification and start a new course. This could be a part-time Honours degree, a joint Honours degree or an Integrated Master’s degree in one of the following (or 2 if it’s a joint Honours degree): agriculture and related subjects architecture (if it’s a MArch RIBA Part 2 course) biological sciences computer science mathematical sciences medicine and allied subjects physical sciences technologies courses leading to qualification as a veterinary surgeon You could also be eligible if you’re starting a healthcare course on or after 1 August 2017. Your age There’s no upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans or grants. If you’re 60 or over You may get limited funding for Maintenance Loans if all of the following apply: you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course you’re studying full-time your course started on or after 1 August 2016 The amount you can apply for depends on your household income. Your nationality or residency status You may be able to get help with: your tuition fees and living costs (full support) tuition fees (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 full support if you meet the university, course and age requirements. Both of the following must also 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 your first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays) If you have a different nationality or you live outside the UK Use the undergraduate student finance checker to find out the type of help you can get depending on your nationality and residency status. It will tell you: if you can apply what type of loan you can apply for

Find out how to apply for student finance. Parents or partners of students Confirm your income if you’re the student’s parent or partner.

Student finance for undergraduates

Overview

You may be able to borrow money to help pay for university or college tuition fees and to help with living costs.

You might get extra money on top of this, for example if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children.

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

You start repaying once you earn over a certain amount. 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 2023 to 2024

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

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

Step 1 Check if you're eligible
1. Check if you're eligible for student finance
There’s a different process if you’re a student from:
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Jersey
- Guernsey
- Isle of Man
Step 2 Find out how much loan you could get
Find out the maximum tuition fee and maintenance loan 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
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
Step 3 Prepare your application
Step 4 Apply online
1. Apply online
If you're eligible for Tuition Fee Loans, Maintenance Loans, or Maintenance Grants, you can apply online.

You'll need to create a student finance account if you're a new student or sign into an existing account if you're a returning student.

It can take up to 6 weeks to process your application. You might have to provide extra evidence.
or Apply by post
1. Apply by post
If you’re eligible for tuition fee-only funding, you must complete a form and send it by post instead. You cannot apply online.

You can also apply by post if you're unable to apply online.

It can take up to 6 weeks to process your application. You might have to provide extra evidence.
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
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
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
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
Step 9 Repay your loan
1. Find out how much you'll repay
2. Find out when you'll start repaying

Student finance for undergraduates

Overview

Before you apply

How to apply

If you’re not from England

Step 1 Check if you're eligible

Step 2 Find out how much loan you could get

and Check if you can get extra help

Step 3 Prepare your application

Step 4 Apply online

or Apply by post

Step 5 Update your details if your circumstances change

Step 6 Make sure you can be paid

Step 7 Check what to do while you're studying

Step 8 Check what to do when you stop studying

Step 9 Repay your loan

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Student finance for undergraduates

Overview

Before you apply

How to apply

If you’re not from England

Part of Get undergraduate student finance: step by step

Step 1: Check if you're eligible

Step 2: Find out how much loan you could get

and Check if you can get extra help

Step 3: Prepare your application

Step 4: Apply online

or Apply by post

Step 5: Update your details if your circumstances change

Step 6: Make sure you can be paid

Step 7: Check what to do while you're studying

Step 8: Check what to do when you stop studying

Step 9: Repay your loan

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK

Step 1 Check if you're eligible

Step 2 Find out how much loan you could get

Step 3 Prepare your application

Step 4 Apply online

Step 5 Update your details if your circumstances change

Step 6 Make sure you can be paid

Step 7 Check what to do while you're studying

Step 8 Check what to do when you stop studying

Step 9 Repay your loan