Maintenance Loan (Student Finance England)

What the Maintenance Loan gives you

You get a government loan to cover your living costs while you study for an undergraduate degree in the UK: rent, food, books and travel. The money is paid straight into your bank account at the start of each term, not to your university. For full-time study in 2025/26 the maximum per year depends on where you live while studying:

• Living with your parents: up to about 10,200 EUR (£8,877) per year.
• Living away from home, outside London: up to about 12,100 EUR (£10,544) per year.
• Living away from home, in London: up to about 15,800 EUR (£13,762) per year.
• A year abroad as part of a UK course: up to about 13,900 EUR (£12,076).

The actual amount depends on your household income. If you or your parents earn more, you get less than the maximum. You get the loan for each year of your course and reapply every year. Because this is a loan, you repay it after you finish, but only once you earn over £25,000 a year (Plan 5) or £29,385 (Plan 2). You then pay 9% of the income above that threshold. The scheme is run by Student Finance England for the UK government.

Who can apply

• Level: You study an undergraduate course, for example a first degree (BA, BSc, BEd), a foundation degree, an HNC/HND or teacher training. Degree apprenticeships do not qualify.
• First degree: The loan is normally only for your first higher-education qualification. A few exceptions apply, such as top-up qualifications and certain science, medicine or healthcare courses.
• Where you study: Your course is in the UK.
• Home: You normally live in England.
• Nationality and residence: You get the full loan if you are a UK, Irish or settled-status resident and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for at least 3 years before the course starts. Other nationalities and residence statuses may get reduced support or none. An online checker tells you what you qualify for.
• Age: You can apply at any age. But if you are 60 or older on the first day of your first year, the maximum is lower (about 5,100 EUR / £4,461).

How to apply

Check your eligibility on gov.uk, then apply online through a Student Finance England account. If your loan is based on household income, your parent or partner confirms their details separately. New applications usually take about four weeks to process, and you reapply for each year of your course.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competitive scholarship. It is a standard entitlement, so if you meet the residence, nationality and course conditions, you get it. A fixed income-based formula sets the amount, not a selection panel. The main thing to watch is that it is a loan you repay from future earnings, not a grant. Apply as early as you can before term starts, since processing takes around four weeks.