Undergraduate student finance for full-time students – January 2027 onwards

Who this information applies to

This guidance is for students who live in England and are starting their course on or after 1 January 2027.

Student finance arrangements are different if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland or are starting your course in September 2026.

If you live in another part of the UK, please refer to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, Student Finance Wales or Student Finance Northern Ireland.

If your course starts before 1 January 2027, see our guidance on undergraduate student finance for September 2026.

Eligibility for student finance

You may be able to apply for student loas to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs if you are studying an eligible course and meet the Government’s age and residency requirements.

Student loans are different from commercial loans. Repayments are based on your income, and you only repay when your earnings are above the repayment threshold.

For courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, student finance will be provided through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

LLE funding is expected to cover most undergraduate courses, including foundation year routes, and some postgraduate courses, such as PGCE programmes.

You can find more detail on course eligibility on gov.uk.

How to apply for student finance

Applications for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will open from September 2026.

What is the Lifelong Learning Entitlement?

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement allows you to access funding for higher education throughout your life.
You will have a funding allowance equivalent to four years of full-time study. You can use this flexibly to study a full undergraduate degree, take shorter courses or modules, or return to study later in your career.

Tuition Fee Loans

If you are eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to pay your tuition fees up front. The loan is paid directly to the University.

You may still be eligible for funding even if you have studied before. This can include funding for a qualification at the same or lower level, such as a second undergraduate degree.

Under the LLE, you will have a maximum Tuition Fee Loan entitlement equivalent to 480 credits, or around four years of full-time study. Based on current tuition fee limits, this is currently worth £39,160. However, the amount of loan you can access each year will depend on the number of credits you are studying. A typical full-time year of a bachelor’s degree equals 120 credits.

You may be able to get an additional Tuition Fee Loan entitlement for courses longer than four years, for example if they include a foundation year or a year abroad.

Paying your tuition fees
• If you take out a Tuition Fee Loan, the loan will be paid directly to the University.
• If you choose not to take out a loan, you will need to pay your tuition fees yourself. For further information, see our guide to paying your fees directly as a UK/home student.

Repaying your Tuition Fee Loan
For courses starting from January 2027:
• You start repaying when you earn over £25,000 per year.
• Interest will be charged on your loan. Rates are set by the Government and may change over time.
• Any remaining balance is written off 40 years after the April you first become eligible to repay.

Maintenance Loans – for living costs

You may also be able to apply for a Maintenance Loan to help with living costs.

You can apply for a Maintenance Loan if:
• You have at least £1,587.50 of tuition fee loan entitlement remaining, and
• Your course requires in-person attendance.

The amount you receive depends on factors including:
• Where you live while studying (for example with your parents, elsewhere in the UK, or abroad)
• The number of credits you study
• The length of your course year
• Your household income

You may be able to receive up to £15,415 per course year when studying for up to 30 weeks.