Undergraduates

This information below is relevant for UK students only.

Tuition fee loan

Tuition Fee Loans are available from Student Finance England for Undergraduate courses. The Tuition Fee Loan is paid directly to the university and covers the cost of the course. Students from the UK studying for their first degree are usually eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan. Eligibility criteria can be found through the gov.uk site.

Maintenance loans (living costs)

The Maintenance Loan is available to UK students to help with day-to-day living costs like
accommodation, travel, food, and social life expenses. Unlike the Tuition Fee Loan, the
Maintenance Loan can be means tested, meaning the amount that students receive can be
based on their household income. The amount of Maintenance Loan students receive will
also depend on where they will be living during term time. If a student decides to remain
living at home, they may be eligible for a smaller loan amount. If a student is studying and
living at a London university, they may be eligible for to a larger amount – this is because
the cost of living in London is higher. The table below gives current guidance on the amount
of Maintenance Loan full time students may be entitled to.

The Maintenance Loan is divided into three instalments and paid directly into students’
bank accounts at the start of each university semester (October, January and April).
Students need to be registered and in attendance.

The amount of Maintenance Loan each student can access will vary per student; to get an
idea of the amount of loan you could be entitled to, check out the student finance calculator
on the gov.uk website.

Care leavers

A care leaver is a young person who has previously spent time living in local authority care (for example, in a residential home or a fostering arrangement) and may be able to access extra financial support at university. Care leavers are assessed as independent students, so the household income of your parents or carers will not be considered when calculating your Maintenance Loan.

You may also be entitled to additional non-repayable financial support from your local authority while at university. This could be in the form of a bursary or financial help towards fees or accommodation costs.

More information about who qualifies and how to provide evidence to Student Finance of care leaver status can be found on the student finance England page.

If you are a care leaver, you can find out more about the financial support available to you by contacting your personal advisor, social worker, or case worker.

Estrangement

If you are no longer in contact with your parents, you may be assessed as an independent student. This means the household income of your parents or carers will not be considered when calculating your Maintenance Loan.

Typically, to be considered irreconcilably estranged from your parents, you won’t have any written or verbal contact with any birth or adoptive parent and this is unlikely to change. You will need to complete an estrangement form to confirm that you’re irreconcilably estranged from your parent(s).

More information about applying for student finance as an estranged student can be found on the student finance England page.

How to apply for student finance

You can apply through the gov.uk website (typically via the Student Finance England portal) the year that you are going to university.

Applications usually open in March and close in May for the upcoming academic year. For example, if you are starting university in September 2026, you should submit your application at some point between March and May 2026. It is important to meet the deadline for student finance to ensure you receive your loan at the start of your course.

Further funding options 

For those who need additional funding support, there are a number of additional options available to you. 

• Scholarships

• Bursaries

• More funding options

We are here to help with any questions or queries you may have.