The short answer
- Living away from home outside London, the most you can get is £10,830 and the least is £5,048.
- You get the maximum if household income is £25,000 or less. Above that, the loan falls until it reaches the minimum at £62,410.
- Living at home, the range is £4,013 to £9,118; in London, £7,039 to £14,135.
- Tuition fees of up to £9,790 are covered by a separate tuition fee loan.
What the maintenance loan is for
The maintenance loan is paid into your bank account to help with living costs: rent, food, travel, books and going out. It is repaid together with your tuition fee loan after you leave university, as part of your Plan 5 student loan, and only once you earn over £25,000 a year.
Maximum and minimum loans
| Where you live | Maximum | Minimum | Minimum from income of |
|---|---|---|---|
| With parents | £9,118 | £4,013 | £58,347 |
| Away, outside London | £10,830 | £5,048 | £62,410 |
| Away, in London | £14,135 | £7,039 | £70,131 |
| Studying abroad | £12,403 |
The minimum is paid whatever your household income. Students aged 60 or over get up to £4,582, which is not means-tested.
How household income is assessed
- For most students under 25, household income is your parents’ income, or one parent and their partner.
- For 2026/27, Student Finance England uses income from the 2024/25 tax year.
- Pension contributions are deducted, and £1,130 is taken off for each other child your parents support.
- Your own income from savings or work over a small amount can count, but part-time job earnings during the course usually do not.
If income has fallen
If your household income this year is likely to be at least 15% lower than in 2024/25, you can ask for a current-year assessment.
How the loan falls as income rises
Above £25,000, the loan for a student living away from home outside London falls by about £1 for every £6.47 of extra household income, until it reaches the minimum.
A worked example
- Maintenance loan for the year£8,512
- Paid in three instalments of about£2,837
- Rent at £160 a week for 40 weeks£6,400
Over a three-year course with £9,790 fees, this student would borrow about £54,906 before interest.
When the money is paid
- Start of term 1First instalment
Paid once your university confirms you have registered.
- JanuarySecond instalment
Usually at the start of the second term.
- AprilThird instalment
Usually at the start of the third term.
The first payment can take a few days to arrive, so it helps to have some money for the first week.
The gap between the loan and living costs
For many students, the loan does not cover everything. Rent alone can take most of it, especially in London and other big cities. Plan a weekly budget: rent, food, travel, phone, course costs and social life. Many students work part-time during term or in the holidays.
What parents are expected to give
The means test assumes that parents with higher incomes will help make up the difference between the maximum and the student’s actual loan. At £40,000 household income, that is £2,318 a year for a student away from home outside London. There is no legal duty for parents to pay, but it is worth discussing early.
Independent students
- Age
- Are 25 or over at the start of the year
- Family
- Are married or have children
- Support
- Supported yourself for 3 years
- Care
- Are estranged or were in care
Grants and extra help
| Support | Amount |
|---|---|
| Childcare Grant | Up to 85% of costs: £199.62 a week for one child, £342.24 for two or more |
| Parents' Learning Allowance | £50 to £2,024 a year |
| Adult Dependants' Grant | Up to £3,545 a year |
| Disabled Students' Allowance | Help with extra costs from a disability |
Universities also offer bursaries, scholarships and hardship funds. Check your university’s website.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees in England are up to £9,790 a year for 2026/27, or £11,750 for accelerated degrees. The tuition fee loan is paid straight to your university and is not means-tested.
Repaying the loan
Your maintenance and tuition fee loans form one Plan 5 balance. You repay 9% of income above £25,000, with interest at RPI, and any balance is written off after 40 years. The Plan 5 calculator shows what you might repay.
How and when to apply
- Apply online on GOV.UK as soon as applications open, usually in the spring before you start. You do not need a confirmed place.
- Your parents or partner will be asked to confirm their income online.
- Apply again for each year of your course.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland apply to their own student finance bodies, with different amounts and grants. This calculator covers Student Finance England.
What living costs to plan for
- Rent: usually the biggest cost, often for 40 to 51 weeks a year.
- Food and household: groceries, cleaning, toiletries.
- Travel: local transport and trips home. A 16-25 Railcard saves a third on most rail fares.
- Course costs: books, equipment, field trips, printing.
- Phone and broadband, plus a TV licence if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer.
- Social life and sport: worth budgeting for rather than leaving to chance.
Divide your loan by the number of weeks in term, and compare it with your weekly spending, to see if it will stretch.
Studying in London
London students get a bigger loan, up to £14,135, because rents are higher. Even so, rent in London halls can take most of it. The minimum loan in London is £7,039, reached at a household income of £70,131. At £40,000 household income, a London student can borrow £11,777.
Living at home
Living with parents means a smaller loan, up to £9,118, and less to repay later. At £40,000 household income, the loan is £6,822. For many students, living at home saves far more in rent than the loan difference, but it can mean longer travel and less independence.
Working while you study
Many students work part-time. Universities usually recommend no more than about 15 hours a week during term. Income tax and National Insurance apply as normal, but most students earn below the £12,570 Personal Allowance. Your own earnings during the course do not usually reduce your maintenance loan.
Student bank accounts and overdrafts
Student bank accounts usually offer an interest-free overdraft, often a few thousand pounds, which can help with timing gaps between loan payments. It must be repaid after graduation, usually over a few years. Avoid relying on credit cards, which charge high interest.
Common mistakes
- Applying late. Apply as early as you can so the money arrives at the start of term.
- Not checking household income evidence. Delays in parents confirming income can hold up payments.
- Forgetting to reapply each year. Funding is not automatic for later years.
- Spending the first instalment too fast. It has to last until January.
Turning the loan into a weekly budget
Thinking in weeks makes a budget easier to stick to. A £8,512 loan spread over 40 weeks of term is £212.80 a week. Take off rent of £160 a week and £52.80 is left for food, travel, course costs and everything else. If that is not enough, plan where the rest will come from before term starts: savings, part-time work, help from family, or a bursary.
| Living | Loan | A week |
|---|---|---|
| With parents | £6,822 | £170.55 |
| Away, outside London | £8,512 | £212.80 |
| Away, in London | £11,777 | £294.43 |
Remember that rent for halls and private lets often covers more than 40 weeks, so check the length of your contract.
If your circumstances change
Your loan is set for the whole academic year when you apply, but it is not fixed for good. Tell Student Finance England as soon as something changes, because the amount can go up or down part-way through the year.
- Household income falls. If your parents’ income this tax year is likely to be well below the year Student Finance England normally uses, you can ask for a current year income assessment. It can raise your loan, but you must send the actual figures once the year ends.
- Your parents separate or a parent dies. The household is reassessed, often with only one parent’s income counted.
- You move out, or back home. Living away from home and living with parents have different rates, so a move part-way through the year changes your remaining instalments.
- You change course or leave. Payments stop or are recalculated, and you may be asked to repay some of an instalment straight away.