University tuition fees and financial support in England

CONTENTS

1. Undergraduate student finance in England, 2026/27

2. University tuition fees and tuition fee loans

3. Funding your living costs at uni

4. Maintenance loans for students from England, 2026/27

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, 2026/27

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 2026/27 for undergraduates who are starting their first degree.

If you are starting a course from 1 January 2027, you will apply for a Lifelong Learning Entitlement loan. This is a new, flexible system of student financial support. LLE loans will be open to applications from September 2026 for courses starting in 2027. Find out more from our article on What is the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

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 2026, universities in England and Wales may charge up to £9,790 for a full-time degree, or £11,750 for an accelerated degree in England. If you come from England, tuition costs at universities in Northern Ireland and Scotland are also likely to be £9,790. Unis in these two nations usually match their fees for students from the 'rest of the UK' to those charged in England.

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 £6,525, or £7,830 for an accelerated degree) but the fees charged may be higher. You'd need to pay the difference yourself.

Foundation year tuition fees

If your degree includes a foundation year, the tuition fees for that year may be different. A foundation year helps prepare you for your subject if you don’t meet the standard entry grades; after completing one, you begin the first year of the degree.

The fee you are charged will depend on the subject you study.

• Up to £5,760 for a foundation year in a ‘classroom-based’ subject such as business, social sciences, and the humanities, where all learning is in lectures or tutorials.
• Up to £9,790 if your subject is practical, such as science, engineering, medical subjects, or the creative and performing arts.

The above is the maximum fee a university in England can charge for a foundation year. But if you’re from England, your tuition fee loan is also capped to these rates. This applies wherever you study in the UK. So if you study in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland and your university charges higher fees, you’ll need to fund the difference for that year.

If you study at a private university, the tuition fee loan for a classroom-based subject is capped at a lower rate (up to £3,835). Private universities are likely to charge higher fees, so you’ll have to fund the difference.

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, the assessment will consider your parents’ income as 'household income'. 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 incomes above this, the loan amount reduces on a sliding scale. This implies that your parents or partner are expected to help with your living costs. You may need to rely on a part-time job, savings, university bursaries, or scholarships to cover your expenses.

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 might be higher than the financial support you get. You will need to budget in advance to work out how you will meet these costs.

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Maintenance loans for students from England, 2026/27

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

From 2026/27, care leavers will be eligible for the maximum maintenance loan support without any assessment of their household income.

The minimum maintenance loan is:

• £4,013 if you live at home (for incomes of £58,387 or above).
• £7,039 if you study away from home in London (for incomes of £70,131+).
• £5,048 if you study away from home elsewhere (for incomes of £62,410+) .

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.

Long course loan in 2026/27

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:

• £77 – if you’re living with your parents.
• £149 – if you’re living in London.
• £116 – if you’re living outside of London.
• £161 – if you’re studying overseas as part of a UK course.

Living cost loan for over 60s in 2026/27

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.

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 2026/27, your maintenance loan could be between £5,996 (minimum) and £12,403 (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. But support may be available to study some subjects as a second degree. 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 also applies 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 to your university. You will receive the maintenance loan in 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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