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Financing your studies

University tuition fees and financial support in England

Our guide to student finance for undergraduates from England on how much going to uni costs, and what funding is available for 2025/26.

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CONTENTS

  1. Undergraduate student finance in England, 2025/26

  2. University tuition fees and tuition fee loans

  3. Funding your living costs at uni

  4. Maintenance loans for students from England, 2025/26

  5. Extra funding for university

  6. Loans if studying abroad or on a placement year

  7. Student finance for a second degree

  8. How to apply for student finance in England

  9. Repaying your student loan

Undergraduate student finance in England, 2025/26

University funding for students from England includes tuition fee loans and maintenance loans for your living expenses. You may also get extra funding based on your personal situation. The student loans outlined below show what’s available in 2025/26 for undergraduates who are starting their first degree.

To be classed as a student from England, you usually need to live in England. This means you haven't just moved there to study. You also must have lived in the UK for three years before your course starts. There are some exceptions, which you can find in our guide on student finance eligibility.

University tuition fees and tuition fee loans

From August 2025, universities in England and Wales may charge up to £9,535 for a full-time degree, or £11,440 for an accelerated degree in England. Tuition costs at universities in Northern Ireland and Scotland are also likely to be £9,535. Unis in these two nations match their fees for students from the 'rest of the UK' to those charged in England.

Also from 2025, if you study a ‘classroom-based’ degree in England that includes a foundation year, your fee for the foundation year will be reduced. The amount of loan you receive will also be reduced. To see if this applies to your course, check the fee information given on the university website.

To pay for your tuition, you can apply for a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England. This covers tuition fees up to the maximum amount charged by most universities.

If you go to a private uni, your tuition fee loan will be less (up to £6,355, or £7,625 for an accelerated degree) but the fees charged may be higher. You'd need to pay the difference yourself.

Funding your living costs at uni

While you’re at university, your living costs may include accommodation expenses like rent and bills, your food and drink, and travel. There may also be course-related payments such as field trips. To help towards these expenses, you may be eligible for a student loan called a maintenance loan.

There are various levels of maintenance loan, based on where you live while you study. If you live with your parents while you're at university, you'll qualify for the lowest level of support. Those who live away from their parents and study in London – where the cost of living is highest – get the most.

But what you actually get will depend on your household income, as the maintenance loan is means-tested. For students who depend on their parents' income, ‘household income’ means your parents’ income will be assessed. If you’re an independent student with a partner, it would include their income.

Only those with a low household income of £25,000 or less are likely to get the full financial support. For higher incomes, the loan reduces on a sliding scale. The implication is that your parents or partner are expected to help cover your living costs. Or you might need money from a part-time job or savings, or to apply for university bursaries or scholarships.

If you don't want to provide your household income, you can apply for a non-means-tested loan. If you do this, you’ll get the minimum student loan available for where you live while you study.

Even if you’re eligible for the full maintenance loan, your living costs may be more than the amount you receive. You’ll need to budget in advance to work out how you’ll meet these costs.

Student Cost of Living Calculator

Use our Student Cost of Living Calculator to discover how much your monthly costs would be studying in different regions and universities around the UK.

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Maintenance loans for students from England, 2025/26

Household income Loan if living at home Loan if living in London Loan if living elsewhere
Up to £25,000 £8,877 £13,762 £10,544
£35,000 £7,387 £12,231 £9,038
£45,000 £5,897 £10,700 £7,532
£55,000 £4,407 £9,168 £6,026
£65,000 £3,907 £7,637 £4,915
£75,000 £3,907 £6,853 £4,915

The above figures are broad examples. Your actual loan amount will depend on your situation.

The minimum maintenance loan is:

  • £3,907 if you live at home (for incomes of £58,349 or above).
  • £6,853 if you study away from home in London (for incomes of £70,116+).
  • £4,915 if you study away from home elsewhere (for incomes of £62,377+) .

If you’re on a paid placement year or a year when you get an NHS bursary (medical or dental students), you will only get a ‘reduced rate’ maintenance loan. The amount depends on where you live while you study, not on your income.

Reduced rate loan 2025/26 Sandwich year NHS bursary year
Loan if living at home £2,396 £2,066
Loan if living in London £4,485 £3,865
Loan if living elsewhere £3,194 £2,753
Loan if living overseas N/A £2,753

Long course loan in 2025/26

If you’re on a university course that’s longer than 30 weeks and three days in the academic year, you may be eligible for a long course loan. You must be in receipt of an income-assessed maintenance loan, and it won’t apply if you’re on a paid sandwich course or get NHS bursary funding. If your household income is above £39,796, the amount shown below will reduce.

The maximum long course loan per week is:

  • £75 – if you’re living with your parents.
  • £145 – if you’re living in London.
  • £113 – if you’re living outside of London.
  • £157 – if you’re studying overseas as part of a UK course.

Living cost loan for over 60s in 2025/26

Normally, over-60s aren’t eligible for maintenance loans. But if you study full-time and your household income is low, you can apply for living cost support as well as a university tuition fee loan. Amounts are means-tested. If your household income is more than £43,835, you won’t qualify for this financial support.

If you’re over 60 with a household income of… You could get a loan of…
Up to £25,000 £4,461
£35,000 £2,120
£45,000 £0

Extra funding for university

Some students may be eligible for extra financial support – for instance, if you’re a single parent, or leaving care to enter higher education. You might qualify for the Disabled Students’ Allowance if you have a disability, a learning difference, or a mental health issue. You can read more about these grants on our student finance and funding page.

It's also worth looking for other financial support such as a bursary, scholarship, or award from your university or college. You won’t have to pay this back. It also won't count as household income, so it won't affect the amount of maintenance loan you could get.

If you get other public funding during your course – like an NHS bursary – it’s likely to reduce the amount of student finance you could get.

Loans if studying abroad or on a placement year

If your university course includes a placement year or studying abroad, you usually pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. Your tuition fee loan will reduce too. Private universities may charge higher fees than the tuition fee loan you get.

Living costs if you study abroad may be higher than in the UK. If you’re studying abroad in 2025/26, your maintenance loan could be between £5,838 (minimum) and £12,076 (maximum) if you’re away for the whole year.

How much you get will depend on your household income and how long you’re away. You can also get help with your travel expenses, through the travel grant.

Living cost support for placements is based on whether the placement is unpaid or paid. If you're on a year-long paid placement, you'll only qualify for a 'reduced rate' maintenance loan. Those on ‘approved’ unpaid placements will be able to get the usual maintenance support.

Student finance for a second degree

Undergraduate student loans are usually only available for your first degree. However, for some subjects there may be some support available for a second degree (ELQ or ‘equivalent or lower qualifications’).

These include:

  • Medicine
  • Dentistry
  • Veterinary science
  • Architecture (if a MArch RIBA Part 2 course)
  • Social work
  • Initial teacher training
  • Healthcare courses
  • STEM subjects (part-time study only)

If you're studying a full-time degree you may need to fund some or all of your university tuition fees yourself, depending on the subject. If you're taking Medicine, Dentistry or a healthcare subject as a second degree, you can find out more from our page on NHS funded courses.

How to apply for student finance in England

Apply online to Student Finance England. You’ll need to reapply for each year of your degree course.

Applications for student finance usually open in March. The deadline for application is usually late spring. This is to ensure your student loan is in place if your course starts in the autumn. You don't have to wait until you've accepted a place on a university degree, you can always update your details later. This applies also if you have to change your university plans during Clearing.

You can still apply after the deadline, but you may not get your funding in time for the start of your degree.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) handles loans on behalf of the government. They’ll pay your tuition fees direct to your university. The maintenance loan is paid into your bank account at the start of each term, once you’ve registered on your course.

Repaying your student loan

Loan repayments begin from the April after you've left your university course. You repay a percentage of your income when you're earning over a certain amount.

Students from England who start a degree this year will be on Plan 5 repayment terms. You can find out more about this in our guide to Repaying your student loan.

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