£25,000 threshold
Under Plan 5, which covers courses starting from August 2023, you repay nothing until your income passes £25,000 a year.
Student finance for home students
What you can borrow, how repayments actually work, and how to apply without the form bouncing back.
2026/27 rates
Two loans, two very different jobs
The tuition fee loan covers your course fee and is not means-tested. The maintenance loan covers rent, food and travel, and it depends on your household income and where you live.
£9,790Tuition fee loan2026/27, full-time undergraduate. Not means-tested, paid straight to the university.
£9,118Maintenance loan — at homeMaximum for 2026/27, before the household income taper.
£10,830Maintenance loan — awayMaximum for 2026/27 living away from home, outside London.
£14,135Maintenance loan — LondonMaximum for 2026/27 living away from home on a London course.
Tuition fee loan
Your fees are paid for you
Every eligible home student can borrow the full fee: for 2026/27 that is up to £9,790 for a full-time undergraduate course, up to £11,750 for an accelerated degree, and up to £5,760 for a classroom-based foundation year. Student Finance England pays it straight to the university, so you never have to find the money yourself.
One important exception: if you have studied at higher education level before, previous study can reduce what you are entitled to. We check that before you apply, not after.
Maintenance loan
The 2026/27 maximums are £9,118 living with your parents, £10,830 living away outside London and £14,135 living away in London. The maximum applies up to roughly £25,000 of household income; above that the loan tapers down as income rises, reaching a minimum around £5,048 outside London.
Care leavers are treated differently from 2026/27: household income is not used at all, and you can choose to borrow the maximum.
Applying
Applying without the delays
- Apply as early as you can.
Applications for the following September normally open in the spring. Processing takes several weeks, and late applications are how first payments arrive after term has already started. - Have your details ready.
National Insurance number, course and university details, bank account details, and the household income information Student Finance England will ask for. - Answer the income questions properly.
Divorced parents, self-employment, a parent living abroad and independent-student status all change what evidence is needed. - Confirm your attendance.
Your university has to confirm you have started before the first payment is released. - Know the payment dates.
Money usually arrives in three instalments at the start of each term.
Repayment
What you actually pay back
9% above the line
Above the threshold you pay 9% of what you earn over it. On £30,000 that is about £450 a year, collected through payroll.
RPI interest, 40-year write-off
Plan 5 charges RPI only, and any balance still outstanding 40 years after you finish is written off.
Figures shown are the published 2026/27 student finance rates and the 2027-entry UCAS cycle. Rates and deadlines are set each year — confirm the current numbers on gov.uk and ucas.com before you rely on them.
Also worth knowing
Things that change the numbers
Care leavers
From 2026/27 household income is not used for the maintenance loan, and you can choose to borrow the maximum.
Health courses
Nursing, midwifery and allied health students can stack NHS funding on top of student finance — see the NHS funding page.
Changes ahead
Student finance is changing for courses starting on or after 1 January 2027. Check gov.uk before you fix your start date.
Questions
Funding questions we hear most
Do I have to pay tuition fees up front?
No. Eligible home students borrow the full fee through a Tuition Fee Loan, which Student Finance England pays directly to the university. For 2026/27 that is up to £9,790 a year for a full-time undergraduate course.
How much maintenance loan will I get?
It depends on where you live and your household income. For 2026/27 the maximums are £9,118 living with your parents, £10,830 living away outside London and £14,135 living away in London. The maximum applies up to about £25,000 of household income, then it tapers down as income rises.
When do I start repaying?
Only once your income is above the Plan 5 threshold of £25,000 a year, and then at 9% of everything above it. Interest is RPI only, and any balance left after 40 years is written off.
What if I do not have A-levels?
There are real routes in: an Access to Higher Education diploma, a foundation year at the start of a degree, or an HND followed by a top-up year. We will tell you which one fits your background.
Can I study part time while I work?
Yes. Part-time study at 25% intensity or more can be funded: the 2026/27 part-time tuition fee loan is up to £7,335, with a reduced maintenance loan depending on your study intensity.
Do I have to be a certain age?
No. Mature students are a large part of what we do — from Access courses in your twenties to part-time degrees later on.
Funding forms doing your head in?
Send us your situation — including the awkward parts, like self-employed parents or previous study — and we will tell you what you can borrow before you apply.