Student finance if you started before 1 August 2016

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If your course started before 1 September 2012

If you are a full-time student who normally lives in England, you can apply for: 

  • a Tuition Fee Loan to help pay your course tuition fees
  • a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs
  • a Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant for extra help with living costs

You must be continuing a course in either of the following academic years:

  • 2024 to 2025
  • 2025 to 2026

Depending on your nationality or residency status, you might only be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan.

Tuition Fee Loan

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £3,465 if you’re a full-time student who normally lives in England. 

Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan is paid directly to them. You have to pay it back.

Maintenance Loan

You must be a full-time UK student, or a full-time student who normally lives in England.

You have to repay the loan. The loan depends on your household income (your parents’ or partner’s income plus yours) and where you live. It will be paid into your bank account at the start of term.

How much you can get

The maximum amount you can get depends on where you live.

Maintenance Loan for the 2024 to 2025 academic year Maintenance Loan for the 2025 to 2026 academic year
Living at home Up to £5,117 Up to £5,276
Living away from home, outside London Up to £6,599 Up to £6,804
Living away from home, in London Up to £9,234 Up to £9,520
Studying abroad for a year, as part of a UK course Up to £7,856 Up to £8,100

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.

Maintenance Loan for the 2024 to 2025 academic year Maintenance Loan for the 2025 to 2026 academic year
Living at home Up to £4,641 Up to £4,785
Living away from home, outside London Up to £6,106 Up to £6,295
Living away from home, in London Up to £8,407 Up to £8,668
Studying abroad for a year, as part of a UK course Up to £6,832 Up to £7,044

Maintenance Grant

You must be a full-time UK student, or a full-time student who normally lives in England.

You do not have to repay the grant - the grant depends on your household income (your parents’ or partner’s income plus yours) and when you start your course.

The grant is paid into your bank account at the start of term.

Maintenance Grant for 2024 to 2025

Full-time student – household income 2022 to 2023 Maintenance Grant for the 2024 to 2025 academic year
£25,000 or less £3,878
£25,001 to £50,717 £50 to £3,877
Over £50,717 No grant

Maintenance Grant for 2025 to 2026

Full-time student – household income 2023 to 2024 Maintenance Grant for the 2025 to 2026 academic year
£25,000 or less £3,998
£25,001 to £50,726 £50 to £3,997
Over £50,726 No grant

Special Support Grant

You may get a Special Support Grant instead of a Maintenance Grant if you get or qualify for:

  • Income Support
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Housing Benefit
  • the housing element of Universal Credit

The amount you get is the same as the Maintenance Grant, but it will not reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.

You may get the Special Support Grant if, for example, you’re a lone parent or have certain disabilities.

You’ll be told if you can get the grant when you apply for student finance.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Get undergraduate student finance: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you're eligible for student finance

    1. If you’re from England or outside the UK, check if you're eligible

    There’s a different process if:

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Step 3 Prepare your application

    1. Check when you can apply
    2. Check what ID you'll need
    3. Check if you need to give proof of your household income

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. Step 9 Repay your loan

    The repayment plan you're on will determine when you start repaying and how much you repay.

    1. Check which repayment plan you’re on
    2. Find out how much you'll repay
    3. Find out when you'll start repaying
    4. Find out how to repay